Cover Image: Josephine Baker "J'ai Deux Amours" mural by FKDL
© Entrée to Black Paris

On July 19, 2025, a spectacular new visual tribute to Josephine Baker was inaugurated in Paris.

Street artist Franck Duval, aka FKDL, created a mural honoring Josephine as part of the Ourcq Living Colors street art festival. 

The nonprofit association Cultures Pas Sages, whose mission is to promote, dissimulate, organize, and implement activities that celebrate cultural diversity, has organized the festival in the Ourcq quarter of the 19th arrondissement since 2012.  FDKL has participated in the festival for a number of years, frequently depicting female figures in his work.

In this representation, Duval has dressed Josephine relatively casually.  Her hands clutch a heart from which what look like roots extend outward and downward.  Two lines from her signature song "J'ai Deux Amours" call forth the love that Josephine felt for the city that catapulted her to international stardom.

Josephine Baker mural
© Entrée to Black Paris

I was surprised to learn that this new mural, which is located next to L'Atalante restaurant at 26, quai de la Marne in the 19th arrondissement, is not the first that Duval has painted of Josephine.

Josephine Baker mural and l'Atalante restaurant
© Entrée to Black Paris

His 2019 mural, which he painted across the street from 32, rue de Thionville in the 19th arrondissement, may have been inspired by Josephine's music hall days.

A few months prior to creating this work, he painted a mural of Josephine in Brooklyn, NY!

FDKL is not the only street artist to depict Josephine on the Paris landscape.

Christian Guémy, aka C215, portrayed Josephine in a bas relief wrought iron sculpture on the façade of a building in the 13th arrondissement 

Josephine Baker sculpture viewed at night
Christian Guémy (aka C215)
© Entrée to Black Paris

as well as on an electrical box in the 14th arrondissement as part of his series on women who were active in the French Resistance.

Josephine Baker - Résistantes series
Christian Guémy (aka C215)
© Entrée to Black Paris

Demoiselle MM depicted Josephine in a paste-up image in the 13th arrondissement.

Josephine Baker by Demoiselle MM
© Entrée to Black Paris

Unfortunately, the latter two images have been painted over.

Below are images of additional depictions of Josephine on Paris' streets (I do not know who the artists are or whether these works are still in place).

Postage stamp paste-up of Josephine Baker (20th arrondissement)
© Entrée to Black Paris

Josephine Baker music box (5th arrondissement)
© Entrée to Black Paris

Josephine Baker mosaid (5th arrondissement)
© Entrée to Black Paris

Africa News posted a video about the 2025 J'ai deux amours mural, including an interview with FKDL.

In it, you will see that the artist is painting over a mural to create his new homage to Josephine.

Hopefully, it will remain intact for years to come.

To see more of FKDL's work, click HERE.