Since Black Panther, a 2018 blockbuster starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, Afrofuturistic depictions have been circulating with increasing frequency. Among those who have reinterpreted this trend and the elements that define it is Sam Onche, a Nigerian artist who moved to the United States in 2015. Combining these two worlds, Onche creates oil portraits of ordinary people, which he customizes with details that reference future and imaginary worlds.
Although all of the characters portrayed are fictional, each story painted by Sam Onche tells a story to which the artist is very attached, as if he has established a personal connection with each of the subjects. The painter’s goal is not only to represent a colorful and fascinating world, but also to reflect on traditions and the concept of community. The style and bright tones, as well as the surreal shapes of the details want to spread joy and hope, as well as a sense of respect for the black community in the USA and beyond. A social battle that develops through art, through variety and Afrofuturistic aesthetics, a style that matches a world of cultural contamination such as the one we live in.
