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Nike doesn't open its World Cup campaigns to just anyone. For 2026, the brand selected a small selection of monumental artists and labels worldwide, each reinterpreting one country's football identity. G-Dragon for South Korea. Jacquemus for France. Palace for England. Patta for the Netherlands. The Virgil Abloh Archive for the USA. For Nigeria, Nike chose Slawn. That puts him alongside some of the most recognized names in art, fashion and music, on one of the biggest campaigns Nike runs this year. The design pulls directly from one of his paintings, and that painting is hanging in Chelsea right now. On July 16th, Slawn opened Slawn on W18th at 456 West 18th Street, Saatchi Yates' first ever exhibition in New York. Saatchi Yates doesn't hand a first U.S. show to just anyone either. Choosing Slawn to headline it says as much about where his career is heading as the Nike deal does. None of this is new information to APC. Last December, APC hosted Heroes, Villains, & Violence, @Art Basel Miami, a joint exhibition by Slawn and his collaborator Opake. An exhibition that broke major news outlet headlines and was covered by both Complex and Hypebeast.
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A working boxing ring sat in the middle of the gallery. Wood panel paintings reworked Iron Man, Captain America, Snow White, and the Mad Hatter through Slawn's raw, tear streaked linework. It wasn't a booth show. It was a full exhibition, built directly with the artist, in a room that felt more like a fight card than a gallery opening.
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Due to this, APC now holds one of the most robust & exclusive Slawn collections available anywhere. It was sourced directly through that partnership, prior to Slawn x Nike breaking major headlines.
Since his first public exhibition in 2021, Slawn has designed the BRIT Awards statuette, redesigned the FA Cup Trophy, and made his Sotheby's auction debut. He was the youngest artist, and the first Nigerian born artist, to design the BRIT statuette. The Nike collaboration and the Chelsea show aren't a discovery moment. They're the huge next entry on a track record that's been building for over five years. Collectors just hearing his name this week are behind the ones who were paying attention prior to SLAWN x OPAKE x APC @Art Basel Miami. APC's collection reflects that earlier position. The pricing still does too, for now... — APC |
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