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Since Rihanna debuted the cover art for her long-anticipated next album, Anti, people have expressed confusion over the symbolic meaning behind the black, red, and gold painting that Rihanna chose to serve as Anti‘s official cover art.
The painting, which depicts Rihanna as a toddler with a gold crown pulled down over her eyes while holding a black balloon, was created by Israeli artist Roy Nachum, who was also responsible for Rihanna’s other artwork for “FourFiveSeconds” and “B**** Better Have My Money.”
For those wondering if the little girl featured on Anti‘s cover art is actually Rihanna, Nachum explains that Rihanna sent him several photos of herself when she was a young girl to help serve as inspiration for the piece, but that the end result is more of “a collage of a few pictures” rather than one specific photo of Rihanna.
Speaking to the Fader about Rihanna’s cover art for Anti and working alongside Rihanna during the creation of the project, Nachum reveals that he’s very pleased with the feedback that both he and Rihanna have received from fans.
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Nachum further explains that he worked on the artwork for Rihanna’s album for nearly a year, noting that Rihanna asked to work with him after seeing pieces of his artwork hanging in Beyoncé and Jay Z’s home.
Prior to tackling album art, Nachum’s artwork has been featured in art exhibitions and he has garnered celebrity attention from the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay Z, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Rihanna told Us Weekly, “I fell in love with [Nachum] because I felt like there was another spirit, there was another layer to the art. After we met, we talked about what I wanted visually, what would make me the happiest girl in the world.”
In addition, Nachum reveals that the black balloon featured on Anti‘s album art is a metaphor for escaping reality, since balloons are “lighter than air.”
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The album, titled Anti, will be Rihanna’s first since 2012’s Unapologetic. But though the name and cover have been confirmed, a release date has not yet been announced.
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