An anti-racism campaign inspired by a gesture captured after England's Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy is raising funds to combat racist abuse. The campaign, Hand of Hope, is fronted by world-leading artists, including Hayden Bone, Arsenal's official club artist for the past five years. Bone contributed eight of the 39 artworks set to be auctioned, one of which features Bukayo Saka.
Saka's abuse and support
The Arsenal star received horrific racist abuse online after missing a penalty in the shootout that would have secured England's second major trophy. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were also abused after missing their penalties. Saka received a significant swell of support following the abuse, and the recreation of an image of him being consoled after the shootout will now aid efforts to raise up to £100,000 for causes including anti-racism and the encouragement of youth art worldwide.
Artist's tribute
Bone said: "I couldn’t be more strongly in support of Bukayo and the defeat of racism. I have painted him many times. He is a kind and thoughtful man who has endured a lot in his short life. He was victimised in an utterly despicable manner, and to come through stronger is a mark of the man. He is exceptional. These paintings are a fitting tribute to him and all the other great athletes who have overcome the sickness of racism."
He added: "Art at this scale will keep the spotlight on the battle against racism. And there’s no better place to start than at school. Kids are blind to differences. If their heroes can inspire them to paint, support a better world, then we can make progress."
The moment that inspired the collection
The collection was inspired by a moment in the aftermath of England's penalty shootout defeat to Italy. Omar Meziane, England's Head Athlete Performance Chef at the time, was seen placing his hand on Saka's shoulder as he processed the events. The gesture was photographed and quickly went viral.
Meziane, who now holds the same role at Nottingham Forest, said: "It was a moment frozen in time, a natural reaction. The entire camp had grown very close, which was entirely down to the manager, Gareth Southgate. We really believed we would win. Then the cruellest of endings."
He continued: "I saw Bukayo in the moment of despair, alone, utterly crestfallen. He felt my hand on his shoulder, turned to face me, simply nodded in response, no words. His eyes were empty, I knew what was coming, I saw the picture splashed across the media the next day. By then all hell had been unleashed on him."
The collection
The 39 exclusive paintings feature stars from various sports who have faced racial abuse but fought back, including Saka, Tiger Woods, Thierry Henry, Serena Williams, Chris Gayle, Vinicius Junior, Neymar, and Lewis Hamilton. They all feature in a centrepiece "statement painting" called "Remember Who You Are".
