Kelani Fatai calls himself one of the “luckiest” artists from Africa after he was commissioned by Tina Knowles to paint the cover of her forthcoming book — a task that he says changed the trajectory of his entire career.

The Nigeria-based painter says he was first commissioned by Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé and Solange, in 2023. And when she later asked him to paint the cover of her book, Fatai couldn’t have been more ecstatic.

“I thought it was a joke, like I (didn’t) really believe it. I (didn’t) think I was fit for that standard,” he tells the USA TODAY Network. “But she made what I thought was a joke reality, and she really guided me.”

Knowles — affectionately dubbed Mama Tina by many fans — announced she is releasing a memoir titled “Matriarch” on April 22.

“I think I’m one of the luckiest artists, maybe from Africa, because I’m proud that I’m the one that made the cover painting. So it’s a great privilege, and I’m always grateful for that,” Fatai says. “Just for someone in Africa — Nigeria — that is not a norm. I’m not that known to the world. And she brought me from nowhere, and people are connecting with me. And so I would dedicate the accomplishment back to her. I’m proud of her for choosing me.”

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Fatai’s journey from Lagos to ‘the limelight’

Born in a commercial area in Lagos called Mushin, Fatai says he started drawing at the age of 6. Others began noticing his work as early as elementary school when teachers and students would rely on him to create drawings in school. Once his dad discovered his talents, he helped foster Fatai’s skills.

“My dad took me to where I was learning arts under roadside artists,” Fatai says. The artists made drawings to display for purchase along the road in Lagos.

He finished his roadside learning in 2012 and would go on to display his own work on the streets of Lagos in 2014. Shortly after, Fatai was offered admission at the prestigious Yaba college of Technology, where he studied Fine Arts and completed multiple programs over the next several years.

Then, like for many folks around the world, everything started to change for Fatai after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In 2020 during the lockdown, there were not many shows. But 2021, everyone wanted to see everybody. We were free to go out to do whatever,” he says. “I started to push out my personal works and collections — like works that I’ve been experimenting on.”

He started getting calls to participate in art shows in different parts of the world.

“When I started pushing the works out, I was very amazed by the reactions I was getting from people,” he says.

A collaboration with Tina Knowles

One of the people to recognize his work was Tina Knowles, who reached out in 2023. He attributes this to the power of social media.

Fatai says prior to the book cover, Knowles commissioned him to make other art for her, which was extremely helpful for his business and keeping his art dreams alive.

“She even introduced me to some people that are close to her. I made some works for them, too. Since I met her, she has always been supporting me with giving me work,” he says.

Eventually, she asked him to paint the cover of her “Matriarch” memoir, which took him about a month.

Fatai says Knowles is his biggest collaborator thus far, and the partnership has been a defining part in his career.

“She’s the biggest. If I should collaborate with another person tomorrow, she will still be the biggest, because she’s the one that took me to the limelight that made some people know me,” he says.

Using art to ‘promote the richness and uniqueness of Black beauty’

As a versatile impressionist and realist, Fatai’s work has now been featured in exhibitions and museums within Nigeria and around the word. Most of his art reflects the beauty and depth of Blackness.

“Some of my paintings have Victorian style of dressing just to promote the richness and uniqueness of Black beauty,” he said.

For the cover of “Matriarch,” Fatai brought his “styling into the painting.” However, he adds, “I’m the type of artist that is not caged under one thing.”

And while he’s landed one of his biggest breaks yet, he approaches the future with a humble mindset.

“Im still in process because I’m still learning everyday,” he says.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.