Lupita’s Viral Drawing Copied From Aspiring Ghanaian Model Laurie Frempong

Woke up to a beautiful drawing of Lupita Nyong’o, by Paris based illustrator, Françoise Kendell (@f.kendell_illustration in instagram) which was reposted by Lupita Nyong’o herself and received over 40,000 likes in a day. But wait hold on, something is very familiar about this picture. The cream angelina headwrap, trickles memories to myself.

“Didn’t aspiring model and blogger Laurie Frempong wear cream angelina print headwrap in this style?” I ask. So I take to her facebook page and realized she did. Then it hits me, the earrings are just the same. So I now ask, is this a painting of Lupita that Laurie copied.

I mean it’s the all famous Lupita Nyong’o why would anything of her be copied from a young Ghanaian model. So why don’t we visit both profiles to see which came first. And very interestingly I was wrong, Laurie’s image was the original.

So here it what happened, Françoise Kendell draws an illustration of Laurie Frempong (@laurie_frempong), almost exactly as she was shot, and then removes her face and computerizes Lupita’s face in there, with no credits whatsoever. Compliment or insult? Who knows, at least you know where the original is from.

On the otherhand, this painting might just give Laurie Frempong, aspirng model and blogger the promotion boost she may need, and even a possible link to the international star Lupita Nyong’o. On another note, let’s also hope this will encourage Lupita Nyong’o to start embracing African fashion and designs from African designers!