The Stories the Media Brush Aside

The stories we grow up with have a quiet way of shaping how we see the world. Not because they're always true, but because they're often the only ones we're given. Art has a way of interrupting those stories. Not by shouting over them, but by asking us to look again. To notice what has always been there, yet somehow escaped our attention. That's exactly what happened when I came across Concept by NK's work.

At first glance, it's the colours that catch your attention. Then, little by little, the details begin to emerge: a jersey number, an Adinkra symbol, a familiar pattern woven into a piece of clothing. Nothing in Concept by NK's work feels accidental. The more time you spend with his art, the clearer it becomes that he's not only interested in creating beautiful images. He's interested in the stories people overlook—the moments that never make the headlines, the cultures that are too often reduced to stereotypes, and the symbols that carry histories of their own.

Talking to NK only confirmed what his work had already suggested. Through digital art and stop-motion films, he brings together sport, fashion, music and culture in a way that feels effortless—as if they had always belonged to the same story.

For NK, storytelling isn't about choosing the loudest moment—it's about paying attention to the stories most people overlook.

What makes a story worth turning into art?

"Every story in one way or another deserves to be told. I love to tell the untold stories in particular. For example, during this World Cup, Curaçao lost their game 7–1. That was so crazy, but I recognized their passion in that one goal—their first at the World Cup. Their hairstyles as well—and I decided to create art surrounding that. Stories like those are what move me, using my platform to voice out the things the media usually brush aside."

I hadn't expected one football match to explain his entire body of work, but somehow it did. Looking back at his portfolio, they felt like different chapters of the same story.

Your portfolio brings together art, music, sport, fashion and culture. What connects all these different worlds in your mind?

"I find it easier to make art of things I get good energy from or things I f**k with—from good music to sports and fashion. I grew up a fan of various sports and also played a lot of high school football and basketball. Fashion also merges a lot of these worlds together. Everyone's trying to show out and look good nowadays in every field. Rather than boxing myself into one of these categories, I love to create with freedom, so I decided to tie all of my loves into whatever I create. I think that's one thing people relate to as well—that freedom."

Freedom also seems to shape the way NK imagines the future. One of the ideas that appears throughout his work is Afrofuturism, not simply as an aesthetic, but as a way of challenging the stories people have been told about Africa for generations.

Afrofuturism plays an important role in many of your projects. For readers who are new to the concept, how would you explain what it means, and why does it matter to you?

"I'd describe it as being able to depict Africans in art through the lens of us being able to play a role in the future. When you watch shows like Star Wars or Star Trek, you never really see African representation. We're always represented on TV and in the media as 'they live in huts' or 'they live in poverty.' I'm trying to depict Africans, African youth, as what we truly are—the future. We run this, we're different, we're fly as hell and we really have a lot to show. That's what I try to represent."

That answer stayed with me. It also made me think back to something I'd noticed from the very beginning: all the small details hidden inside his work weren't there by accident.

Many of your artworks are filled with symbols and small details. Do you intentionally include hidden meanings for people to discover?

"Yeah, I loved that you noticed that. I love to integrate African Prints and Adinkra symbols (local Ghanaian symbols) in my work, which all have meanings. Fabrics I pick can be from various regions and cultures. I love to leave Easter eggs as well for my audience to find. It makes people appreciate the art a bit more and also shows people, yeah, okay, I know what I'm creating."

His answer quietly confirmed something I'd suspected from the beginning: nothing in his work is accidental. Once you realize that, you can't help but wonder what happens before the first brushstroke—or, in his case, before the first digital sketch.

What does your creative process usually look like? How much research happens before you even begin creating a piece?

"Someone recently compared me to a journalist because I do a lot of research! Haha. One thing that makes my work different is that I'm able to capture the little details—iconic jersey numbers, quotes and jewellery in my art—and people who also pay attention to detail always immediately catch that. So yeah, my creative process is like an athlete: watch film before taking on the opponent. In this case, my opponent is the artwork."

Research may happen before the work begins, but every artist eventually reaches a moment that changes everything. For NK, there wasn't just one.

Looking back at your career so far, is there one project that changed everything for you? Why?

"I'd say both making my Freedom Stop T-shirts, which was really my first entry into the fashion space, and exhibiting in Times Square. The tees showed people that I was versatile, not just creating art online. A lot of people reached out for collaborations because it was a statement piece. The Times Square exhibition really changed a lot for me. My friends, even my family, saw that okay, this guy is really doing it. Like all of these things we see the bigger profiles doing are really not out of reach—they're very possible."

As our conversation went on, it became clear that success wasn't the way NK measures his work. Recognition matters, but it's the emotional connection behind a piece that seems to stay with him the longest.

Out of all the work you've created, is there one piece that feels the most personal? What makes it special?

"I'd say The Weight of Moving Forward. It's a piece that represents struggle, hustle, ambition and mainly immigration. It tells a lot of people's stories, and that piece surprisingly brings a lot of people to tears when I exhibit it. It features a figure carrying a "Ghana Must Go" bag, which is usually carried in situations of migration or hustle. It also has the word "Pending" written on it in red, like someone rejected in transit or waiting on the next move. But it also features a dove the figure is looking at—a sign of hope. I didn't expect the piece to go viral. I was just in a creative block, so that surprised me, but it seemed a lot of people could relate to that struggle."

This was the moment our conversation stopped feeling like an interview. I found myself reading his work differently—not as a single story about migration, but as a reflection of something many people carry with them, whether they've crossed a border or not.

What do you hope people feel or think after spending a few minutes looking at one of your artworks?

"Purpose. I want people to feel like, okay, this could be me. I try to make figures look fly, swaggy, serene. My audience should be able to insert themselves into the pieces and say, 'Yeah, I still have a role to play.'"

If there's one thing our conversation kept returning to, it was exactly that: representation. Not simply seeing yourself reflected in an artwork, but feeling that your own story matters enough to be told. Before we wrapped up, I couldn't leave without asking what comes next.

Finally, what's next for Concept by NK? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you're especially excited about?

"I'm currently doing the World Cup series, highlighting moments from the tournament. But I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the year, God willing—planning a solo show in Ghana, and a few collaborations, one that'll be at Paris Fashion Week as well, so that's crazy. In everything, just remembering to stay humble and remember that my goal is really huge. I want to be great. I want to make work that lives beyond me."

Long after our conversation ended, I found myself thinking about the sentence that opens this article: the stories we're given shape the way we see the world.

Maybe that's why Concept by NK's work lingers. It doesn't ask us to abandon the stories we already know. It simply asks us to make room for another one.

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Written by Ria

Instagram: @who.knows.ria

Concept by NK

Instagram: @conceptbynk