[Art&Design]

SLAWN EXHIBITION OPENS IN CHELSEA NEW YORK

London gallery Saatchi Yates hosts Olaolu Slawn on W18th Street in Chelsea featuring large scale Nike Nigeria football kit paintings and fashion items.

image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn
image description detailing London artist Olaolu Slawn's debut New York pop up art exhibition including large scale paintings and sportswear apparel.
Olaolu Slawn

Summary:

  • London gallery Saatchi Yates presented a pop up exhibition by artist Olaolu Slawn in Chelsea Manhattan.
  • The exhibition closed on July 19 2026 after running alongside the final weekend of the global football tournament.
  • The presentation included large scale paintings used for the Nigerian national football team kit alongside collaborative apparel.

London gallery Saatchi Yates established a temporary exhibition space at 456 West 18th Street in Chelsea Manhattan, marking the debut New York appearance for the gallery. The event coincided with the concluding weekend of the international football tournament, during which Nigerian born London based artist Olaolu Slawn produced three monumental paintings measuring five meters by five meters for the gallery center. One painting provided the graphic foundation for the official Nigerian national team football kit created by Nike, and the Super Eagles wore the third kit design during the 2026 international matches. Visitors observed the original large scale canvas work inside the Manhattan venue before the closing date on July 19 2026.

The large paintings feature a dense crowd of faces motif, with Slawn applying acid green, black on white, and charcoal grayscale tones across the layered compositions. Swarming cartoon expressions and looping marker lines cover the surfaces, while adjacent rooms displayed individual figure works including a visual confrontation between popular culture figures Batman and Big Bird. Wooden sculptures occupied parts of the floor space, representing thematic concepts of athletic competition, victory, and defeat.

Collaborative elements expanded the presentation beyond traditional fine art, as fashion designer Asspizza contributed a large flag constructed from remnants of the painter's used canvases. Performance artist Thelonious Stokes executed an unannounced live action piece during the opening night, and the gallery also displayed custom footballs alongside Nike R10 boots designed for football legend Ronaldinho.

Alongside the artwork, Saatchi Yates managed a temporary retail space inside the building offering items from the Nike Nigeria X2 26 collection. Patrons purchased sportswear accessories, apparel, stickers, and a specialized football publication.

Slawn previously achieved visibility through interventions into commercial luxury design, modifying items from brands including Rolex, Rimowa, and Louis Vuitton to comment on modern consumer behavior. Prior global projects include designing the 2023 Brit Awards trophy and remodeling the English FA Cup trophy in 2024. A past London solo exhibition included one thousand smaller canvases, where individual pieces sold for around €1200 each. The New York show brought these cultural elements into a single location for local audiences.

Andrea Darren

Born in Manchester, from a young age, she was passionate about art and design. She studied at the University of the Arts in London, where she developed her skills in these fields. Today, Andrea works as an editor for a renowned publishing house, combining her love for art and design with her editorial expertise.

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