As the whole of Malta gathers for the eagerly-awaited final, Iggy Fenech chats to illustrator Nadine Noko, whose series of original World Cup pictures have created a viral storm.
Be it verbalised, in print or in pictures, social commentary is an art form that keeps societies, cultures and governments grounded. It is also an art form that helps us – the proletariat – react to our surroundings; surroundings which have expanded from one’s mere village 100 years ago to pretty much the whole globe today.
It is specifically because of this that social commentary has gained momentum, and our forefathers, who gathered in coffee houses in the 17th century to discuss politics and society, would give this day and age a standing ovation. But this mode of commentating doesn’t always have to be serious, and as an intuitive social commentator, Nadine Noko understands this.
“As an artist you always want to be relevant to the times you live in,” says Noko, whose Two Heads and a City exhibition last year garnered many a positive review.
“I see illustrations everywhere and I record them in my head, sketchbook or phone. Anything that stirs a debate has value to me but, sometimes, those situations are not noticed by certain people and that’s where this form of illustration has the ability to make you say ‘Oh!’ and to smile, laugh or think… It’s also very difficult to run out of material as people are strange creatures so there is always something to poke fun at!”
For the past couple of weeks, Noko has been publishing original illustrations of the World Cup on http://worldcup2014posters.tumblr.com and Facebook.
“The last World Cup I watched was when Maradona played as I was quite fascinated by him. Not a very good role model, I must admit, but strangely enough I was always attracted to sportsmen like Mike Tyson or John McEnroe – the slightly flawed ones, in other words.
“My partner loves sports for the right reasons, however, so I knew she was going to watch all the matches,” she explains. “It was then I decided to get into it and start drawing. It turned out to be great fun, especially the Brazil v Columbia match.
“Out of all the ones I’ve done, my favourites are Goal and Messi. The first one because I am fascinated by people who actually spend more time takingpictures of the moment than actually enjoying it; I mean, they are at the stadium but they are still watching the game on a screen.
“And the second one because I imagine the Pope subtly rooting for the Argentinian team completely surrounded by Italian and Swiss supporters.
“Although I use satire to represent the World Cup in these illustrations, I think that there are more positives in this event as it really brings people together.
“I remember when a couple of days ago we were at a village square while Germany were playing Ghana and it was nice to see the community enjoying the game together. Even on the pitch, moments like when Brazil’s David Luiz consoled James Rodriguez were incredibly heartwarming… There were low points, however, like when Neymar Jr was kicked in the back.
“Ultimately,” Noko concludes, “I hope these illustrations will be a topic for conversation, and will inspire people to laugh and think.”
http://worldcup2014posters.tumblr.com