Lemi Ghariokwu

Lemi Ghariokwu
King of Covers, photographed by Emmanuel Komolafe
Born	Emmanuel Sunday December 26, 1955
Nationality	Nigerian
Education	Self Taught
Notable work	Designer of 26 album covers for Fela Kuti and covers for polygram records.
Website	http://www.lemighariokwu.com

Lemi Ghariokwu (born Emmanuel Sunday; 26 December 1955), also known simply as Lemi, is a Nigerian artist, illustrator and designer who is most renowned for providing many of the original cover images for the recordings of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.

Lemi Abiodun Ghariokwu was born Emmanuel Sunday on 26 December 1955, in Agege, Lagos. He is from Agbor, Delta State but has spent all his life in Lagos, Nigeria. He grew up in Igbobi, Fadeyi in Lagos State with his parents and siblings. During his school days, he often spent his long vacations at Ajegunle. His father wanted him to be a mechanical engineer, so he attended a technical school; Yaba College of Technology Secondary School, where he studied technical and science subjects but this was where his school journey ended. His school journey ended upon completion He decided not to go to school but train himself to master his style of art. Although his formal academic journey ended here, education did not. He read and equipped himself constantly with knowledge and developed his art skill alongside. He grew up listening to Reggae songs and studying metaphysics. His maturity into self and social consciousness was facilitated by Fela Kuti, Peter Tosh, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah and Steve Biko. Lemi is married with four children – Asilem Eweka, Tamara Ajasa, Omotosho, and Odafin-Nevo Shekinah.

Lemi met Fela Kuti in 1974 through Babatunde Harrison (a journalist for Sunday Punch). He walked into a pub and stumbled on an art work Lemi did for the pub owner. He requested to see more and he saw one of the illustrations Lemi did of Roforofo Fight. This spurred him to take Lemi to meet Fela. On this first meeting, Fela was impressed with Lemi's work and offered to pay him but he refused the money. This became his ticket into Kalakuta Republic.Lemi's relationship with Fela Anikulapo Kuti was very cordial. He gave Lemi total freedom with his work and thoughts to the level that he just did as he pleased, albeit responsibly, with how and what he wanted to express. Lemi had the rare privilege of putting his photograph and comments on some of the covers and was treated like a son, friend, adviser and comrade by the Afrobeat legend. Ghariokwu's approach to his work with Kuti involved listening to and digesting the music and then expressing his reaction in his paintings, design and comments which provide a high level of detail on the many album covers he delivered.