‘A misunderstanding’: Dwyane Wade statue artist breaks his silence after backlash
Oscar Leon is feeling the Miami Heat.
The Chicago artist behind the new Dwyane Wade statue outside the Kaseya Center has been taking an online beating from fans this week. Many claim the work looks nothing like their basketball idol.
Under the Heat’s X video of Sunday’s unveiling, commenters voiced their displeasure, and countless memes have been generated poking fun at the facial features.
The picture the statue is modeled after was Wade screaming in victory, “This is my house!” after his tie-breaking, double overtime winning shot in March 2009 against the Chicago Bulls. While the NBA star’s muscular physique is spot on, his mouth is wide open and appears to be grimacing; the eyes are smaller, the teeth resemble pieces of Chiclets gum.
Trolls compared it to Morpheus from “The Matrix” movies played by Laurence Fishburne, the late John Amos from “Roots,” Marvel supervillain Thanos and even “Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer.
The Chicago-based artist who helped create the eight foot tall bronze piece is apparently unbothered by the backlash, and standing by his man.
“To the critics, there’s a lot that needs to be understood,” Oscar Leon of Rotblatt Amrany Studio told NBC News.
Explaining why the likeness to the beloved baller is slightly off, Leon pointed to the creative process, which involves coating the massive objet d’art with a protective finish.
“We have to seal everything to keep the integrity of the sculpture,” he told the outlet. “However, that does create a funny little side effect of being glossy in areas that we are not used to seeing when we look at somebody in the flesh.”
Leon admits the sealer creates “a little bit of, um, a misunderstanding to the eye.”
As for the famous subject? Wade is actually pleased about the way he was immortalized for eternity, or at least until Miami goes under water.
“I don’t know a lot of people with a statue. Do you know anybody? In here, y’all know anything about the process of the statue?” he rhetorically asked reporters on Monday. “No one out there does, either. It’s an unbelievable process to be a part of.”
That doesn’t mean the hoops legend doesn’t enjoy a good meme.
“I appreciate all the comments everyone has,” Wade said. “I’m in on the joke. I laugh all the time.”
