The world is still reeling from the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, who died last month after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
The Black Panther star has been immortalized in many pieces of art since his death, and now, Nikkolas Smith has unveiled his touching tribute mural at Downtown Disney. It is the shopping district located right outside of the Disneyland theme parks in Anaheim, California.
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The installation, entitled “King Chad,” shows Boseman giving the “Wakanda Forever” salute to a young child wearing a Black Panther mask. The image evokes tons of emotion and highlights what an impact Boseman’s role as King T’Challa in the blockbuster film had on kids all over the world.
The artist shared his thoughts on his own work in an Instagram post on Thursday .
“This one is special. My King Chad tribute is now on a wall on display at Downtown Disney,” he wrote. “It is a full circle moment for me: my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the children’s hospital project and the Avengers Campus.”
“To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman,” Smith continued. “I’m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way. I am grateful to the Disney family for being so supportive of my journey as an artist.”
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Check it out:
Although Boseman is best known for his starring role in Black Panther, he starred in several important projects throughout his incredible career. In 42, he played trailblazing baseball legend, Jackie Robinson, and took on the role of Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.
His death dealt a shocking blow to his legion of fans and his closest friends, most of which never knew he was battling colon cancer while taking on his film projects.
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