Artist Steven Wilson was commissioned by the teams at Studio Makgill and Nike to be part of the Nike store re-design at Stamford Bridge stadium in the UK. Studio Makgill commissioned seven artists from four countries to create artwork for the space, each relating to a legendary Chelsea player. The artists were matched with players that come from the same country. Steven was paired with Frank Lampard, one of the Chelsea’s most prolific goal-scorers.
Steven’s agents in the UK, Breed London, asked Steven to talk a little about his thinking on the pieces:
“I took inspiration from the iconic Chelsea symbols, such as the rose and the blue/white chequers. I wanted to use those traditional forms as I felt it was right to celebrate the history and heritage of Chelsea FC whilst at the same time I wanted to interpret them in a contemporary way, so I could put my own stamp on them, but also as a nod to the club’s bright future.
For the bust I wanted Frank’s British heritage represented in the design as he is one of the best midfielders the UK has ever produced. And as Chelsea’s highest ever goal-scorer I felt it was important to represent those statistics in the artwork. I created the design so everything comes off his name and number in the central part of the design as a nod to his midfield position on the pitch.”