Redesigned Chadwick Boseman Tribute NFT From Oscars Revealed

Artist Andrew Oshea and Black NFT Art today revealed "A Young Boy's Dream," the revision of the "Tribute: Chadwick in Gold" NFT Art that Nomine commissioned for the Oscars' "Everyone Wins" Nominee Gift Bag. Oshea redesigned the NFT tribute art after controversy emerged over his use of a previously-existing 3D print model of Boseman's head. Half of the proceeds from the NFT art will go to The Colon Cancer Foundation to continue its research into the illness that took Boseman's life in 2020. The special edition, unique artwork will go up for auction on MakersPlace from May 14th through May 16th.

According to a press release, the artwork depicts a young Black boy walking in wonderment through the spirit realm, inspired by Boseman's performance as T'Challa in Black Panther. Each altar he passes pays tribute to a different accomplishment or role in Boseman's life. Those milestones come to life through animation and sound as the young boy walks past them.

"My focus when creating this piece was centered around the environment," Oshea says in the press release. "Creating a world that's filled with wonderment, legacy and soul. It was important to me that this piece felt more like a celebration and education of what one can do when they believe in their creative abilities. Chadwick has set an example for black creatives of all generations, and we should carry his torch with us."

The NFT art includes nods to Boseman's depiction of Black icons James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and Jackie Robinson and moments from his personal life, including his wedding and graduation from Howard University. It also includes Boseman's Oscar-nominated turn as Levee Green in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He ultimately lost the award to Anthony Hopkins in what some consider an unexpected upset.

Andre Oshea is a 28-year-old 3D generalist and animator. His work explores themes of futurism and surrealism. Black NFT Art, an NFT creative agency founded by Iris Nevins and Omar Desire, represents Oshea.

The sudden popularity of crypto art and NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and their embrace by corporations, remains controversial. NFTs are digital certificates of authenticity that prove the copy of an image they're attached to is the creator-sold authentic "original." Many artists see this new trend as a means of making considerably more money from their digital artwork. However, many critics note that NFTs pose a threat to the environment as they and the cryptocurrencies that use the same technology draw considerable power to their servers to run the recurring programs that verify the "proof-of-work" needed to determine each work's uniqueness.