When you think of Tina Turner, you think of energy, fire, and soul — an icon who broke barriers, owned stages, and defined resilience for generations. So when a 10-foot bronze statue of Tina was unveiled in Brownsville, Tennessee — her hometown — it should have been a proud cultural moment.Instead, it’s stirred up national conversation about art, representation, and what it really means to honor a legend.

The Statue & The Spark

The new statue, standing tall in Heritage Park across from Tina’s old high school, was sculpted by Atlanta-based artist Fred “Ajano” Ajanogha. The project, funded by donors including Ford Motor Company, aimed to pay tribute to the “Queen of Rock & Roll” and connect Brownsville’s youth to her legacy.

But once photos hit social media, the feedback was… intense.

“That Tina Turner statue is a tragedy. She deserves better.”

“What’s art got to do with it?”

Still, others defended the work, urging people to appreciate the deeper intent rather than the surface.

The Artist’s Vision

Fred Ajanogha, who has sculpted for over 30 years, isn’t new to public art. His works appear across Atlanta, including Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. In interviews, Ajano explained his inspiration:

“I wanted to capture movement — the way her hair became part of her power, and how her hands, the way she gripped a mic, showed the strength in her performance.”

Art, after all, isn’t always about perfect likeness — it’s about essence. And that’s the tightrope public art walks: honoring the emotional truth of the subject while living up to public expectation.

Why Atlanta Should Care

Here’s where the conversation hits home for us at Patchwerk Radio.

This isn’t just a Memphis story. The hands that shaped this statue come from Atlanta, the same city that’s birthed countless musical legends, muralists, and cultural game-changers. Our creative community doesn’t just make hits — it builds monuments, visual legacies, and national conversation pieces.

Atlanta artists carry the cultural responsibility of shaping how the South — and Black excellence — are represented on a global stage. Whether the feedback is praise or critique, it’s proof that our city moves the culture.

The Larger Question

So what happens when public art honoring a Black icon misses the mark for some viewers?

It opens dialogue — about collaboration, representation, and who gets to shape our heroes in stone. Maybe the next chapter of honoring legends like Tina Turner involves more community input, digital previews, and public feedback before installation.

Because when art celebrates music, it deserves the same care and soul that went into the songs themselves.

Patchwerk Perspective

At Patchwerk, we see art as an ecosystem — sound, sight, and storytelling working together. From our engineers who mix platinum records to our community of producers and designers, the mission stays the same: preserve the culture, evolve the conversation.

So whether you love or question the new Tina Turner statue, remember this — it came from the hands of one of Atlanta’s own. And that, in itself, is worth a closer look.