White Nail Polish

Take a moment with this striking portrait by Amoako Boafo, a Ghanaian artist who has become one of the most talked about painters working today. The figure here sits against a bold teal background, dressed in soft white, with bright spots of white nail polish that give the painting its name. What jumps out most is how Boafo painted the skin and hair. Instead of using a brush, he used his fingers, swirling and pressing the dark paint into expressive patterns. Look closely and you can see the movement of his hands, almost like fingerprints left behind across the face and the raised hand.

Boafo is known for celebrating Black subjects and Black skin with care and pride. His work draws on the spirit of artists like Egon Schiele, especially in the way he focuses on the figure while leaving the background flat and simple. That contrast pulls all your attention to the person and their expression. The small details, like the wire glasses and the little white nails, feel personal and real, as if you are meeting someone specific rather than looking at a symbol. It is a warm and confident image, and part of a larger body of work that has helped bring more Black faces and stories into museums around the world.