Malkia wa Dunia
In Amharic, she is Nigist—a title etched in ancient thrones. The Swahili tongue calls her Malkia, Queen of the coastline and sun-soaked savannah. Among the Yoruba, she is Olori, mother of women and bearer of divine dignity. The Hausa names her Sarauniya, a warrior wrapped in grace but built on steel. In Ghana, Ashanti is more than a name—it is a legacy of resilience. Ask the Akan, and they will call her Ohemaa, sovereign of lineage and lore.
Across the continent, her name changes but her power does not. To the Igbo, she is Eze Nwanyi—a female king whose command is unquestioned. To the Zulu and Xhosa, Indlovukazi speaks of majesty rooted in wisdom. And in Somalia, Boqoradeyda honors her as queen of heritage and heart.
These titles do more than translate to “Queen.” They are the memories of matriarchs, and the living pulse of modern Black women that carry the continent and the diaspora forward.
Welcome to Malkia wa Dunia, Queens of the World (Swahili). Welcome to a visual homage to today’s Black women—and to the ancestral queens whose legacies echo through them. Six digitally hand-drawn silhouettes are sculpted to honor the beauty and wisdom of Black women across the diaspora and back home on the mother continent of the world.
These queens do not wear gilded crowns or hold glittering scepters. Instead, they bear the quiet majesty of generations of Black women in their everyday brilliance—natural hairstyles, familiar profiles, grace and beauty. They resemble the women we pass on bustling streets, share laughter within sunlit kitchens, or find strength beside in quiet rooms. Their strength lies not in opulence but in lineage—reflecting a truth that many African queens may have once lived as ordinary women before being called to extraordinary roles by ancestry or the struggles of simply trying to live every day.
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At the core of this artwork is the Passionflower, a sacred bloom revered for its resilience, hypnotic beauty, and spiritual depth. Like the women it represents, the flower speaks in layers—petaled strength, coiled grace and elegant complexity.
Symbols of intellect and bravery are interwoven within some pieces. The piercing gaze of the great horned owl represents their queenly intellect, and the gleaming arc of the sword represents their lioness-like, sacrificing bravery. What are Black women, if not beauty and brilliance, shielded by fierce devotion and cover to those they love.
Malkia wa Dunia is bathed in hues that speak the language of the continent and the vast diaspora.
🟥 Red—for resistance and sacrifice
⬛ Black—for dignity and the people
🟩 Green—for the land and the soul’s growth
🟨 Gold—for radiant sovereignty and the scattered diaspora
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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 in the continent. Blossomed across oceans. Mothers. Daughters. Sisters. Black, and Queens of the world.
