Redesigned Chadwick Boseman NFT art revealed after Oscars controversy

Redesigned Chadwick Boseman NFT art revealed after Oscars controversy
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Artist Andre Oshea has unveiled a redesigned version of his controversial Chadwick Boseman NFT (non-fungible token) art originally commissioned earlier this year for a series of unofficial Oscars gift bags.

Initially unveiled as a gilded digital recreation of Boseman's face, the tweaked piece — titled "A Young Boy's Dream" — instead depicts a child in a fantastical world, walking past various symbols representing achievements from Boseman's career, including objects inspired by his roles as James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and Levee Green, as well as his wedding and graduation from Howard University.

"My focus when creating this piece was centered around the environment. 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," Oshea said in a press statement commemorating the Black Panther star's life. "Chadwick has set an example for Black creatives of all generations, and we should carry his torch with us."

The artist's original design was previously condemned across social media, prompting Oshea to release an apology in the aftermath.

Andre Oshea/Instagram; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Courtesy of Andre Oshea Andre O'Shea's Chadwick Boseman NFT Oscars art redesigned following controversy.

"I now recognize that Chadwick's face is a triggering reminder of his death rather than his life, and I will be redesigning the artwork to be auctioned off later this week," he wrote at the time, further explaining that he was contracted to do the piece for gift bags assembled by Nomine(eth), a company not affiliated with the Oscars.

Oshea will auction the new piece to benefit The Colon Cancer Foundation, with 50 percent of the proceeds going toward their work to end the disease that led to Boseman's death in August 2020.

See Oshea's redesigned NFT art inspired by Boseman above.

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