“We all owe something to Africa. This is why “Heritage” came naturally. It is my connection with Africa and my Caribbean roots too. There is a long history of slavery there. I am here in Senegal, not far from the island of Gorée. This makes sense to me. We are all Africans.”

Organized by the two founders of the Ivorian gallery Art Time, this exhibition marked the second anniversary of the Senegalese Museum of Black Civilizations. JonOne created new works for the occasion, including several colorful canvases and ten surfboards redesigned and customized in Dakar. A traditional canoe tagged by the artist is also exhibited as one of the event’s key artworks.

“The world of board… I think today we have to slide more. I just bought a boat. Before I painted subways in New York. When I saw that they painted boats like that, I dreamed of making a boat.”