Malkia wa Dunia

In Amharic, she is Nigist. The Swahili tongue calls her Malkia, and among the Yoruba, she is Olori. The Hausa names her Sarauniya, a warrior built from steel. In Ghana, Ashanti is more than a name. It is a legacy of resilience. Ask the Akan, and they will call her Ohemaa. Across the continent, her name changes but the spirit does not. To the Igbo, she is Eze Nwanyi—a female king. To the Zulu and Xhosa, Indlovukazi speaks of majesty and wisdom. And in Somalia, Boqoradeyda honors her as queen of heritage and heart.

These titles do more than translate to “Queen.” They are the bloodlines of matriarchs, the living pulse of modern Black women across the Diaspora, and these art piece are dedicated to them. Welcome to Malkia wa Dunia, “Queens of the World (Swahili). Why these Queens? Read More #malkia

Malkia Sita

Malkia wa Dunia is a visual homage to modern Black woman and the ancestral queens whose legacies pulse through them.

Six digitally hand-drawn artworks were created in familiar profiles and everyday hairstyles that resemble the women we pass on bustling streets, share laughter with in sunlit kitchens, or find strength beside in quiet rooms.

Six Queens

Nigist Makeda

Kandake Amanirenas

Malkia wa Dunia is not just another art gallery, it is a visual psalm. A declaration. From a single flower blooms a chorus of thinkers, warriors, and protectors, rooted on the continent, blossomed across oceans. Mothers, daughters, sisters, black - Queens of the world. Read more at #malkia

Ayaba Moremi Ajasoro

Ohemaa Yaa Asantewaa

The collection blossoms from the Passionflower, a sacred bloom revered for its hypnotic resilience and spiritual depth. Like the women it honors, the Passionflower speaks in layers, elegant complexity and exceptional, natural beauty. Read more at #malkia

Sarauniya Amina

Ngola Nzinga Mbande

Mianzo ya Binadamu, “Origins of Humanity,” is the core of the art series. These pieces bring together all six queens and the enduring emblems of intellect and bravery. Mianzo ya Binadamu is offered in four diasporic backgrounds. Whether gifted to a rising young queen finding her voice or a grandmother whose reign has shaped generations, Malkia wa Dunia stands as a timeless expression of pride, power, and heritage.

Origins of Humanity

Mianzo ya Binadamu

RedBlkGrn1

Horizon

Baraza la Malkia

Council of Queens

Malkia - The Assembly of Queens

Malkia - The Assembly of Queens, Hex Square

Malkia - Pillars of Mshikamano" (Unity)

Udugu wa Malkia

The Sisterhood of Queens

These compositions were envisioned to magnify the majesty of the Queens, presenting them in grand, expansive form. As with other pieces in the collection, this offering is available with diverse backdrop choices in diasporic heritage tones.

Silaha Asilia

Natural Weaponry

Woven throughout Malkia wa Dunia are the innate brilliance and boundless bravery of Black queens. The great horned owl watches with ancestral eyes—piercing, perceptive, unafraid. The sword gleams with intention, its arc a testament to lionhearted valor and uncompromising protection. For what are Black women, if not the first defenders of lineage, legacy and culture.

Akili ya Enzi (Intellect of the Throne – Swahili)

Gamba Asili (Natural Armor – Swahili)

Upanga wa Malkia (The Queen’s Sword – Swahili)

Diaspora is an expansive interpretation of Malkia wa Dunia. These offerings are meant to sprawl across your living space the way Black Queens starting with Earth’s first female, Lucy, have sprawled across time. What makes Diaspora unique is the symbols of intellect and bravery brackets the Queens on each end. Read more at #malkia

Diaspora

Diaspora - Rainbow

Diaspora - Marcus’s Wish

Diaspora - Sunrise

Diaspora - Horizon

SORO /HBCU

The Malkia wa Dunia collection pays homage to the distinguished legacies of Black sororities, historically Black colleges and universities, and the regal women who embody their spirit. Select pieces are inspired by official color palettes, thoughtfully crafted to honor their symbolism—yet none directly name the organizations they evoke.

“Soro” is a symbolic illustration celebrating the legacy of four sororities. Each is offered in two distinct color palettes, available in a range of sizes. Click here to explore and acquire your preferred rendition.

“HBCU” is a symbolic illustration honoring the enduring legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Each piece is available in a range of sizes and distinct color palettes that reflect the identity of select institutions. Picture Speaks curated the top ten HBCUs based on a public survey. If your school isn't listed, click here to send an email—we’ll research its official colors and create a custom edition for your acquisition.

Why These Queens?

Fire-tempered fearlessness. Genius insight.

👑

Makeda, Nzinga, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina, Moremi, Amanirenas.

They were not merely rulers. Each one redefined the shape of power in her time—bending tradition, commanding armies, defending sovereignty, and teaching through example that leadership can be fierce, feminine, and deeply rooted in care. They ruled not just territories, but narratives—reclaiming dignity through resistance, brilliance through innovation, and identity through culture.

Their presence in the Malkia wa Dunia collection is intentional. These six queens represent pillars of Black womanhood—each one echoing through the lives of today's teachers, scientists, business leaders, creatives, politicians, and pioneers. Where Queen Nzinga waged diplomatic battles, modern Black women navigate boardrooms and policymaking with strategy. Where Queen Amina expanded her empire, today’s entrepreneurs build communities from the ground up. Makeda's mastery of wisdom and trade finds reflection in educators and economists shaping futures with every lesson and ledger.

They are chosen not for novelty, but for continuity. Their stories carry themes of innovation, protection, sacrifice, grace under pressure, and brilliance often dismissed. These are the same qualities found in contemporary Black women who bear not crowns, but responsibilities just as profound.

This gallery honors them as a bridge—linking ancestral authority with present-day excellence. It invites viewers to see the queens not as distant icons, but as spiritual foremothers of a living legacy.

The word “Malkia”, meaning queen in Swahili, and is also plural when written in the phrase, Malkia wa Dunia. It is used throughout East Africa to denote royalty. Though not always a formal monarchical title, it remains a powerful honorific—bestowed in reverence, respect, and recognition of feminine sovereignty.

The following profiles offer deeper insight into six regal figures whose histories and legends inspired the Malkia wa Dunia collection:

👑 Nigist Makeda (Amharic – Ethiopia)

Often referred to as the Queen of Sheba, Makeda flourished around the 10th century BCE, according to Ethiopian chronicles.

  • Traveled to Jerusalem to test King Solomon’s wisdom, bearing riddles and luxurious gifts

  • According to the Kebra Nagast, she bore Solomon a son—Menelik I—who founded Ethiopia’s Solomonic dynasty

  • Revered as the Mother of the Ethiopian Nation, symbolizing diplomacy, divine lineage, and wisdom

  • Her legacy blends myth, scripture, and national identity—marking her as a spiritual matriarch

👑 Ayaba Moremi Ajasoro (Yoruba Kingdom – Nigeria)

Moremi’s legacy is rooted in sacrifice and strategic brilliance during the siege of Ile-Ife.

  • Volunteered to infiltrate the mysterious Ugbo raiders who terrorized her people

  • Gained their trust through beauty and wit, then uncovered their secrets—they were men disguised in raffia

  • Escaped and led her kingdom to victory

  • Celebrated for her courage, cunning, and selflessness—she remains a symbol of feminine resistance

👑 Sarauniya Amina (Hausa – Nigeria)

A warrior queen who redefined leadership in the 16th century as ruler of Zazzau (now Zaria).

  • Led military campaigns across West Africa, expanding her kingdom

  • Introduced fortified city walls—still known today as “Amina’s Walls”

  • Commanded an army of 20,000 foot soldiers and 1,000 cavalry, pioneering metal armor use

  • Immortalized across modern media, remembered as “a woman as capable as a man”

👑 Ohemaa Yaa Asantewaa (Akan – Ghana)

The Queen Mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa stood as both political and spiritual authority.

  • Held the highest-ranking female position in Ashanti governance—not as consort, but sovereign

  • Became regent after her grandson was exiled, leading resistance against British colonial forces

  • Heroine of the War of the Golden Stool, embodying leadership and legacy

  • A symbol of matriarchal strength and national pride

👑 Ngola Nzinga Mbande (Mbundu Kingdoms – Angola)

Ruler of Ndongo and Matamba, Nzinga’s reign fused tactical brilliance with unshakable resolve.

  • Led armies into battle well into her sixties, trained since youth

  • Asserted equality during Portuguese negotiations—famously sitting on her attendant’s back

  • Formed strategic alliances with the Dutch and Imbangala to resist colonization

  • Gave refuge to escaped slaves and opposed the slave trade

  • Adopted Christianity strategically while retaining cultural sovereignty

  • Her influence endured: after her death, women ruled Matamba for 80 of the next 104 years

  • Revered as the Mother of Angola and icon of resistance and empowerment

Kandake Amanirenas ( Kingdom of Kush, Sudan)

  • Ruled circa 40 BCE and led her army against Roman Emperor Augustus.

  • Blinded in one eye during battle but continued fighting.

  • Defaced Roman statues and refused to pay tribute, forcing Rome into a peace treaty.