By Typamm, 2021

This piece is my tribute to the women who fought with Behanzin, king of Dahomey, against the colonial troops. These incredible warriors called the "minos" ("our mothers" in the Fon language, spoken in Dahomey at the time and still used in Benin, Togo and part of Nigeria), were the vanguard and elite of the Royal Army.

Struck by their allure and fighting spirit, the French military named them "Amazons", in reference to the antique female warriors. They inspired the movie Black Panther, hence the reference in my modern version of the distinctive sign used in the American blockbuster.

PRESENTATION OF THE ARTIST

Typamm, a Beninese artist graduated from the School of Fine Arts, first started painting. In 2015, he began caricatures and then illustrations and evolved into digital graphics.

Awarded in Benin for his paintings and sculpture, he is also passionate about street art and regularly participates in Effet Graff, the largest urban art festival in francophone Africa. He is also involved with Unicef Benin in the prevention of violence against children through graffiti and cartoons.