World Cup Wonder
Ohio Wesleyan Student's FIFA Art Goes Viral, Earns Him Professional Commission
Ohio Wesleyan student Nana Kwadwo Tweneboa-Kodua '27 scored big during the FIFA World Cup without ever stepping on the playing field.
His digital art celebrating the international soccer tournament went viral, drawing millions of views worldwide. His bright, bold creations even caught the attention of athletic apparel maker Under Armour, which has commissioned him to create new pieces for its social media. His commission will include images of Spain's Pedro Porro and Ferran Torres, who scored the World Cup's final winning goal.
"I want people to be able to relive the moments I'm painting, especially from the World Cup, and for my other pieces, I want to be able to highlight Black and youth culture," says Nana Kwadwo, a Ghanaian American.
"One of the main themes I've regularly explored is a concept called Afrofuturism, which is intended to create spaces for Black and African voices and ideas in the future of technology and society. I want people to be able to imagine themselves in my art and the scenarios I paint and to get inspired."
Nana Kwadwo created 23 pieces during the World Cup, all using his signature technique of hand-drawing and digital painting, overlaying them "to be able to get some textures and roughness I'd ideally not get with digital."
His favorite piece of the series is "The World Froze," he says, which depicts "the Cabo Verdean national team after their heroics in the World Cup as the smallest nation in the tournament but having a huge impact, especially in their iconic game against Argentina."
Fortunately, Nana Kwadwo says, he tends to work quickly, allowing him to post art throughout the 39-day FIFA tournament. "It takes longer to think about ideas and find inspiration than it does for me to paint," he says. "A painting could take a maximum of a few days or, at the very least, about 3-4 hours."
His World Cup work marks his first official series and has inspired him to do more with the sport, including the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. "I'm definitely still going to make art of football/soccer since it's a passion of mine, and I always like to create art of things I love. ... I've been watching football since I was young and have always been a Manchester United fan."
In the meantime, Nana Kwadwo says he is "getting more into the fashion and physical media space," including creating a new skateboard deck with British-Nigerian designer Daniel Adetona. "I want to release more merchandise, apparel, and also host another solo exhibition soon," he says.
He held his debut exhibition at Ohio Wesleyan in the spring. At OWU, Nana Kwadwo is majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Economics. He anticipates pursuing a career in software development, but continuing his digital artwork.
Nana Kwadwo says he appreciates being a Bishop for his "liberal arts education that teaches me to manage and succeed in multiple fields at once, preparing me for a professional life that is both technical and creative."
See more of Nana Kwadwo's art on Instagram at @conceptbynk or his website at conceptbynk.com.