In Sixteen Nefertitis (Warhol Type Beat), Awol Erizku monumentalises the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti by placing her iconic image within a grid formation coloured with the Pan-African flag. Sixteen Nefertitis (Warhol Type Beat) not only celebrates Nefertiti as a symbol of Black Power but also serves as a powerful act of reclamation, rescuing her legacy from the clutches of colonial narratives that have sought to diminish her significance. The work captures the essence of the African Queen, embedding her in a contemporary context that speaks to the enduring struggle for cultural sovereignty and identity. Nefertiti’s recurring presence in Erizku’s oeuvre, as seen in his Nefertiti – Miles Davis sculpture (2017) and the photograph Malcolm X Freestyle (Pharaoh’s Dance) (2019–20), underscores her continued relevance as a cultural and political icon. Despite the scarcity of historical information about Nefertiti, whose racial identity remains a subject of debate, her image has been profoundly shaped by the famous bust created by the sculptor Thutmose, an Ancient Egyptian sculptor in the Amarna style active around 1350 BC. Discovered in the early 20th century and now housed in the Neues Museum in Berlin, this bust has been at the centre of international disputes, with Egypt contesting Germany’s claim to the sculpture. In Erizku’s work, Nefertiti pointedly denies the viewer eye contact, a gesture that simultaneously invites and distances the observer. This deliberate avoidance asserts Nefertiti’s autonomy over her image, challenging the ways in which her likeness has been historically objectified and interpreted. Through this, Erizku critiques the colonial gaze and reclaims her narrative, while the vibrant contrast between the Pan-African flag’s colours and Nefertiti’s elusive gaze amplifies the tension between visibility and invisibility, reflecting her complex and multifaceted historical legacy.