An oil painting of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Ransome-Kuti valued at N500,000 has been declared missing in Lagos. The 36 x 36 inches artwork, titled Passion For All: Fela’s Call, was reported missing from the studio of Nigerian visual artist Mitchelle James Innocent in Satellite Town on October 25, with a formal complaint lodged at a nearby police station.
The painting, created in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, reimagines Fela as a powerful equestrian figure holding a saxophone instead of a sword. Inspired by Jacques-Louis David’s 1805 portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte crossing the Alps, the work blends Pan-African colours and Nigerian symbolism, including yellow trumpet flowers and inscriptions such as “Kwarantine” and “Palliathieves.”
The piece was previously exhibited at the New Afrika Shrine during Felabration 2024 and later displayed at Art Hotel Lagos. After the artist relocated to the United Kingdom in 2025, the painting could not be accounted for when other works were documented and shipped in August 2025.
Innocent described the artwork as deeply personal, saying it was created during a period of hardship and national unrest, reflecting youth resistance and Fela’s enduring message of social justice. He said losing it feels like losing a part of his creative identity.
The artist has appealed to collectors, galleries and the public to report any sighting or attempted sale of the painting to the authorities. He stressed that the work remains his intellectual property and warned that any unauthorised reproduction or commercial use would violate copyright law and attract legal action.
