Portrait 20: In the Beginning, there was Football
Today the first 2023 Women's World Cup goal was scored by one our artists, football star Hannah Wilkinson, featured in the group exhibition. Discover the online exhibition on Artsy today!
In the Beginning, there was Football… and today, the first 2023 Women's World Cup goal was made by one our artists, football star Hannah Wilkinson, featured in our current group exhibition. Hannah Wilkinson made history with this goal. The first goal of the World Cup, and as a result, fist ever win for co-hosts New Zealand in the World Cup tournament. A record of 43,123 people cheered from the stands in Eden Park in Auckland celebrating the win. The same stadium that showcases a commissioned mural of Wilkinson’s other craft—her beautiful artwork—and that is where our story unfolds.
Exhibition Launching Today on Artsy
Romi Studio is thrilled to invite you to explore In the beginning, there was Football, an online exclusive exhibition on Artsy. The exhibition presents ten artists from around the world: Shannon Bono, Marcin Dudek, Ella Littwitz, Jefferson Medeiros, Magdalena Paz, Sheida Soleimani, Sungrea Kim, Victoria Villasana, Wendy White, and Hannah Wilkinson, who herself is playing for New Zealand in her fourth FIFA World Cup tournament this July.
In the beginning, there was Football celebrates the likeness of football to life, embraces football’s ability to synthesize information about society, and evokes an overdue sense of nostalgia to the lineage of all its players. By illuminating significant figures and stories, these artists foster a deeper understanding of football as a shared history and cultural phenomenon. With over 1.25 million tickets sold for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the time is now to immerse ourselves in the joy and love of football.
Spotlight on Hannah Wilkinson
Hannah Wilkinson is a New Zealand football player, musician, and visual artist. She had a notable collegiate career at the University of Tennessee in the United States and went on to play professionally in Sweden, Portugal, Germany, and Australia. Additionally, she represents the New Zealand Women's National Team, the Football Ferns, participated in three Olympic Games, and four FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Art has always been a significant part of Wilkinson's life, even before she began her soccer journey. She explains to Romi Studio: “Born and raised in Whangārei, New Zealand, I began drawing and creating before kicking a ball. My artistic pursuits offer a healthy balance off the pitch, allowing space to mentally offload pressures associated with being an elite athlete, while also enhancing the focus-flow state needed to perform both artistically and athletically.”
Wilkinson's work spans various mediums, including drawing, digital illustrations, painting, and murals. Although sports is a dominant theme in her art, she frequently incorporates symbols related to philosophy, music, and New Zealand's cultural identity, landscapes, and wildlife. She is a proud member of the International Olympic Committee's Olympian Artists program and made significant contributions to the Olympic Agora exhibition held at Tokyo's Mitsokoshimae metro station before, during, and after the 2020 Games (held in 2021). As mentioned before, she was also commissioned to create a mural at Auckland's Eden Park national stadium, celebrating the staging of the three women's World Cups (cricket, football, and rugby) in New Zealand in 2022 and 2023. This stadium will be the venue for the 2023 Women's World Cup and where Wilkinson continue competing.
“To be is to do. Over time, this game defines us in many ways. Pursuing excellence in football always required an undying thirst for knowledge, a drive to know more and to be better. This work reflects exactly this, inspired by Socrates’ teachings to cultivate virtue and better the soul. Using an image of the Socrates statue in Athens, I sketched in fine-line detail, to bring out the intricacies of stone sculpture.”
— Hannah Wilkinson
For our exhibition opening today, In the beginning, there was Football invites viewers to reflect on this interconnectedness of the 90-minute game within the larger world. One artist passes the ball to another, exploring the significance of football in society through art and contributing to the mythmaking around the Women’s World Cup.
This framework of inquiry takes inspiration from Hannah Wilkinson. Wilkinson’s two limited edition prints use powerful imagery and poetical language to explore the philosophy and emotion in football. Her work reveals her deep emotional connection and proximity to the game. In Heart in the Game, football is inseparable from her sense of self. On the other hand, in Soccerates, Wilkinson playfully positions a football at the feet of Socrates, applying the Socratic method in the context of football. This juxtaposition alludes to the pursuit of virtues and the enrichment of the soul through football, comparable to the ancient Greek peripatetic school. Here, substituting walking with playing football as a means of acquiring knowledge and wisdom. One print focuses on logic (‘logos’) in understanding the game’s significance in society, and its associated ethics and values, while the other explores emotion (‘pathos’) equating football with love, and expressing what is at stake with football—the heart.
“The game needed life. I put my heart into it. This work is a depiction of the passion and commitment to the beautiful game. Inspired by anatomical cardiac drawings in historic medical reference textbooks like Gray’s Anatomy, I sought to capture detail and realism – a vivid and naturalistic characterization of the passion footballers have for this game. It is part of us, we live and breathe it.”
— Hannah Wilkinson
WORLDWIDE EXCITEMENT
Hannah Wilkinson, as the forward for the Football Ferns, scored the historical match-winning game at the 48th minute. The sequence commenced when Katie Bowen, the defender, initiated the play with a powerful goal kick, propelling the ball towards the right-side. After a series of exchanges, the ball found its way to Jacqui Hand, another forward from New Zealand, who outpaced Mathilde Harviken, a defender from Norway, and advanced towards the penalty area. All the while, Wilkinson was running full acceleration down the middle of the field to meet a precise assist pass from Hand. It was a beautiful first touch, powerful kick to the back of the net.
Join us in celebrating these moments and watching the Women’s World Cup this summer! Stay tuned for watch parties, artist talks, and more.
For inquiries or further information, please reach out to us at info@romistudio.io or visit our website at romistudio.io.