When some film producers asked artist Adebanji Alade if he'd like to take up a challenge to repaint Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa in just a month, he thought it sounded like a bad idea - but he said yes anyway, despite the fact the original (which Adebanji had never seen) took four years to paint. 

He tells Emily Webb about his belief in saying yes, his life as a "compulsive sketcher", and the family tragedy that made him determined never to run away from problems.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Laura Thomas

Picture: Adebanji Alade and his Mona Lisa
Credit: Emily Webb for Outlook

When some film producers asked artist Adebanji Alade if he'd like to take up a challenge to repaint Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa in just a month, he thought it sounded like a bad idea - but he said yes anyway, despite the fact the original (which Adebanji had never seen) took four years to paint. He tells Emily Webb about his belief in saying yes, his life as a "compulsive sketcher", and the family tragedy that made him determined never to run away from problems. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Laura Thomas Picture: Adebanji Alade and his Mona Lisa Credit: Emily Webb for Outlook

The man who (re)painted the Mona Lisa

<p>Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. 
 
Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. 
 
Our guests come from every corner of the globe: from Burundi to Beverly Hills, New Zealand to North Korea, Rajasthan to Rio. And their stories can be about anything: tales of survival, humour, resilience and intrigue. From the mind-blowing account of the Japanese man trapped in his own reality TV show, to the Swedish women rescued from lions by a tin of spam. It’s life’s wild side, in stereo. </p><p>Lives Less Ordinary is brought to you by the team behind Outlook, the home of true life storytelling on BBC World Service radio for nearly 60 years.
 
Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
 
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Personal Journals

Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Our guests come from every corner of the globe: from Burundi to Beverly Hills, New Zealand to North Korea, Rajasthan to Rio. And their stories can be about anything: tales of survival, humour, resilience and intrigue. From the mind-blowing account of the Japanese man trapped in his own reality TV show, to the Swedish women rescued from lions by a tin of spam. It’s life’s wild side, in stereo. Lives Less Ordinary is brought to you by the team behind Outlook, the home of true life storytelling on BBC World Service radio for nearly 60 years. Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784 You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

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The man who (re)painted the Mona Lisa

The man who (re)painted the Mona Lisa

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