It would have been easy for Khalid Leshawn to follow the same path taken by so many of his fellow artists.
But Leshawn leads with his heart, which has taken him a different way. The 27-year-old freelance digital artist from Accra, Ghana, is creating pieces on womenβs athletes and he couldnβt be happier.
βWhen I look at sports content on social media, all the good designs and illustrations are male sports,β Leshawn said. βAll my digital artists mates are all interest(ed) in male sports just because it gives you the exposure and get you in the sight of the recruiters, it gets you more likes and comments on social media β more than the womenβs.
βSince I am a womenβs sports fan, I said, βWhy not put my time and dedication to the womenβs sports with my talent?ββ
Leshawnβs online portfolio features womenβs college basketball players, including Arizonaβs Shaina Pellington, Bendu Yeaney and Ariyah Copeland. His work also focuses on soccer and track and field β the other sports he gravitates to as a fan.
Pellington and Yeaney found Leshawn on social media to thank him. Pellington responded with the emoji for βlit,β saying that she had never had anything like this done before and that it was awesome.
Leshawn said it βfeels goodβ to see the athletesβ reactions.
Leshawn says heβs drawn to an athlete from the photos he sees online. He knows immediately when he has found his subject, even if he canβt quite express why.
The artist has also become a fan of UA coach Adia Barnes, saying he appreciates her βenthusiasm and her legacy.β So why hasnβt he created an illustration of her?
βI wanted to do something for her, but not now, I donβt want to stress myself with a lot of work at this time,β Leshawn said.
Leshawn has two distinct styles. There are the illustrations that look like drawings that he used for the Wildcats and other womenβs college basketball players. Other pieces take on a more realistic look; Leshawn saves the style for WNBA stars like Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner and Candace Parker, retired USWNT superstar Carli Lloyd and tennis star Naomi Osaka.
His portfolio sports all types of collections he has completed over the past few years. He has created social media branding for soccer clubs like Gotham FC and Bristol, cell phone wallpaper of the WNBAβs 2022 Champion Chicago Sky and collections on 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup and WNBA Inside the Wubble 2020.
His NCAA womenβs basketball art also includes South Carolinaβs Aliyah Boston, Iowaβs Caitlin Clark and Tennesseeβs Rae Burrell.
Leshawn says his ultimate goal is βto work with any womenβs teams or athletes as their content creator and just help their brands with my talents.β
Hidden in one of Leshawnβs Women & Sports collection is something special for Wildcat fans: An illustration of former standout Aari McDonald as she strikes a pose in her Arizona uniform.
βI didnβt know that he did something on me,β McDonald said. βBut I am really appreciative. β¦ Representation is everything.β
Photos: Stanford edges Arizona in NCAA women's title rematch