STEFAN

Commissioned by Netflix in collaboration with Intermission Films, Stefan is a portrait of power, vulnerability, and duality. Created by Ken Nwadiogbu for the premiere of the final season of Top Boy, the oil painting was unveiled at the Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, London, from September 9 to 13, 2023, and later shown at the National Portrait Gallery.

Through oil on canvas, Nwadiogbu captures the paradox that defines Stefan’s world: his youthful presence caught between tenderness and survival, stillness and pressure. Rendered with piercing realism and subtle emotion, the portrait is a mirror of inner complexity. It honors the weight young Black boys often carry before they have the words to describe it.

Beyond character, the painting serves as a tribute to Top Boy’s profound influence on British television and urban storytelling. Celebrated for its raw portrayal of life on the estates of east London and its commitment to spotlighting emerging Black British talent, the series has transcended entertainment to become cultural archive.

To stand before the painting is to pause inside a narrative too often overlooked. It invites self-reflection, community remembrance, and recognition of what it means to grow in the margins while being watched by the world.

Commissioned by Netflix.
Produced in partnership with Intermission Films.