BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • BBC Trending

How a Nigerian artist's tweet caught the eye of Kevin Hart

  • Published
    1 March 2019
Share page
About sharing
A portrait of Kevin HartImage source, Eli Waduba Yusuf
By Andree Massiah
BBC News

When a young artist drew a portrait of one of his heroes and tweeted it to him, he never expected a response from the subject of his work.

That is what happened to 26-year-old Eli Waduba Yusuf, who told the BBC it was it was like a "dream" when US comedian and actor Kevin Hart directly contacted him about the portrait he'd created.

Yusuf, a hyper-realism artist from Nigeria, had spent two weeks drawing a detailed pencil image of Hart that looks like a black and white photo.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post by Eli Waduba

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post by Eli Waduba

Yusuf tweeted out his masterpiece, tagging Hart in the hope that the actor might see the finished product.

Others also saw the work and began tweeting Hart about the talented young artist.

Eventually, the artwork came to the actor's attention and he responded to one user, external: "Talent out of this world... Wooooooooow".

Kevin HartImage source, Getty Images

Hart then went further and tweeted Yusuf directly.

The actor said that he not only wanted to buy the portrait, but also commission Yusuf to draw portraits of a few of his celebrity friends.

The reaction to Hart's reply had more than 310k likes in the first 24 hours with people tweeting their congratulations to Yusuf and wishing him well.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post 2 by Kevin Hart

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post 2 by Kevin Hart

Yusuf said he was "thrilled" to be contacted by the actor: "I still can't believe it; it feels like a dream. It's been so overwhelming. Kevin Hart has just blew my mind."

He went on to say: "A lot has changed - a few days ago I was just a local artist who loved drawing and would have loved the world to see my work, but I didn't know it would happen so fast.

"Here I am having an interview with the BBC - please someone should wake me up!"

Presentational grey line

You may also like:

  • Joe's 100th birthday card appeal goes global

  • Before 'distracted boyfriend', was there 'distracted girlfriend'?

  • The woman who painted the man who painted the woman who painted the bird

Presentational grey line

One Twitter user was impressed by the portrait.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post 3 by Jamie Pratt

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post 3 by Jamie Pratt

Another tweeted her thanks to Hart for recognising Yusuf's talent.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post 4 by Petrider Paul

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post 4 by Petrider Paul

Another user welcomed the positive news coming from her country of Nigeria.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post 5 by Victoria

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post 5 by Victoria
Presentational grey line

What is hyper-realism?

Hyper-realism is a form of art that looks very realistic. The pieces can resemble photographs.

The high-resolution element takes the art beyond photorealism.

The art tends come in the form of paintings or sculptures. But other mediums such as pencil can be used to create the works.

Yusuf's portrait of his motherImage source, Eli Waduba Yusuf
Image caption,

Yusuf: "My mother has been a source of encouragement to me, even though she never had a formal education and came from a poor background"

Presentational grey line

Yusuf describes how the artist Arinze Stanley, external inspired him to work in the hyper-realism genre.

"His work showed me the possibilities of art, so I decided that whatever I see I must replicate and do even better," he said.

"I made sure that every new work I do is better than the previous one."

Meanwhile, there is speculation as to who the celebrity friends are that Hart would like Yusuf to draw.

Some thought that it could be ex-wrestler turned actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. One Twitter user said, external: "The Rock is about to have a great drawing of himself."

Whoever the lucky recipients of the new portraits are, Yusuf's art has just got very real.

Top stories

  • Live. 

    Israel announces 'tactical pause' to fighting in parts of Gaza and says it will open aid corridors

    • 4796 viewing4.8k viewing
  • Gaza air drops 'a grotesque distraction', aid agencies warn

    • Published
      6 hours ago
  • Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens

    • Published
      4 hours ago

More to explore

  • Feeling tense? Here's how to survive the final with your nerves intact

    A young woman with shoulder length brown hair and a fringe bites her nails in Boxpark Croydon during the semi-final between England and Italy
  • 'Gaza suffering must stop, PM to tell Trump', and Euros 'Pride and Prejudice'

    The Times front page shows the headline "Gaza's suffering must stop, PM to tell Trump" as well as photographs of the British Lionesses, who are preparing for a match, and the Lions, who just beat Australia. The Observer's front page is devoted to a picture of Lionesses player Michelle Agyemang. She wears a black jacket with purple insignia, and listens to headphones. A bag is slung over one shoulder.
  • Gaza aid site offered a 'women only' day. It didn't stop the killing

    Mary Sheikh al-Eid's family is comforted after her body is brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza (24 July 2025)
  • Lucky shirts and coffee mugs: England fans share their match day rituals

    A woman wearing glasses is drawing a red and white England flag on her right cheek in face paint while looking at her reflection on her mobile phone.
  • The make-believe festival boasting Glastonbury headliners planned by a convicted fraudster

    James Kenny is standing sideways in front of a blue and purple promotional screen at the National Television Awards, with the NTA branding behind him. He is a white man with short grey, thinning hair who is smiling and holding his hand up to his chin in a comedic way. He is wearing a blue jumper, square glasses and a NTA lanyard.
  • The last custodian: A Kashmiri artisan's battle to save a musical legacy

    A man wearing a black shirt and a white skull cap with black glasses looks into the camera. There are posters and wooden cutouts hanging on a wall in the background
  • How reality TV changed the way we think - for the better

    A treated image showing an old TV screen with a close up eye
  • Why we need to talk about periods, breasts and injuries in women's sport

    Chloe running towards the camera with her arms to her sides, wearing white shorts and white sports bra with her England shirt twirled up in her right hand, screaming with joy, blonde hair flying
  • Sleep, exercise, hydrate - do we really need to stick to recommended daily doses?

    A woman wearing black leggings and pink athletic shoes, standing on a set of black steps. One foot is placed on a higher step while the other remains on a lower one, suggesting an exercise or stretching.
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Does this look like a real woman? AI Vogue model raises concerns about beauty standards

  2. 2

    'Gaza suffering must stop, PM to tell Trump', and Euros 'Pride and Prejudice'

  3. 3

    Pubs and venues to be protected from noise complaints

  4. 4

    Greece battles wildfires, evacuating residents near Athens

  5. 5

    The would-be saint murdered 'mafia-style' for refusing bribes

  6. 6

    Why I'm not paying into a pension

  7. 7

    The make-believe festival boasting Glastonbury headliners planned by a convicted fraudster

  8. 8

    Bend It Like Beckham sequel in the works, director tells BBC

  9. 9

    Gaza air drops 'a grotesque distraction', aid agencies warn

  10. 10

    Ozzy Osbourne: From Prince of Darkness to reality TV's favourite dad

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Best of the BBC

  • New drama from writer Jimmy McGovern

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Unforgivable
  • The Bafta award-winning comedy returns

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Such Brave Girls
  • An epic road trip across Vietnam

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Top Gear
  • Amol Rajan and Billy Bragg chat politics

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Radical with Amol Rajan
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.