Former women’s professional tennis player and internationally certified tennis coach Naa Shika Adu is set to launch Vernacular of Play on 11 September 2026, a compelling multidisciplinary art exhibition exploring the connections between movement, language and cultural expression in sport and everyday life.

The exhibition is supported by the Edward Osei Boakye Trust and features a creative collaboration with artist Reginald Kofi Boateng, bringing together sport and visual art in a thought-provoking exploration of play, identity and culture.

The exhibition reinterprets tennis as more than a competitive activity, positioning it as a powerful tool for social commentary. At its core, Vernacular of Play explores how movement transcends words, and how play serves as a compelling mirror of society, capturing its rhythms, inequalities, aspirations, and moments of collective joy. Central to this concept is the term “vernacular,” which historically carried negative connotations within colonial educational systems where indigenous speech and identity were often suppressed. In this context, the term is reclaimed and transformed into a symbol of cultural identity, memory and expression.

Inspired by her experiences as both an athlete and a youth development advocate, Naa Shika creates an immersive space where art and sport intersect. Through a carefully assembled collection of works curated by Whitney Chinonye Ernest, the exhibition highlights themes of resilience, aspiration, discipline and community, while celebrating the universal significance of play. According to Naa Shika, "the body speaks long before words are formed. In Vernacular of Play, every movement, a serve, a sprint, a pause, or a moment of stillness becomes a sentence in a larger story, expressing emotions, struggles and triumphs that transcend language."

The exhibition further challenges the perception of sport as neutral. Tennis, often linked to privilege and exclusivity, is reframed through African perspectives and lived experiences. By combining performance, visual art, sound, archival storytelling and embodied movement, the project explores the deeper social meanings embedded within the choreography of play and how history is carried within the body, even in competitive spaces.

Beyond its artistic intent, the exhibition also serves a broader social purpose. It supports the Africa Sports Alliance (ASA) Foundation, founded by Naa Shika, which is dedicated to using sport as a vehicle for youth empowerment across Africa.

Through mentorship, structured programmes and access to opportunities, the Foundation seeks to develop talent, create employment pathways and equip young people with essential life skills. Vernacular of Play is therefore positioned as both a cultural and social engagement platform, bringing together artists, athletes, educators, corporate partners and the wider community in support of youth development.

Its impact lies in its ability to connect sport, art and social consciousness in a way that is inclusive, participatory and culturally relevant. The exhibition creates opportunities for African youth to see themselves represented within contemporary narratives, while encouraging dialogue on issues such as access to sport, representation, postcolonial identity and cultural preservation.

Ultimately, Vernacular of Play invites audiences to move beyond observation to active engagement, reflecting on how movement, language and play influence how societies remember the past, respond to the present and shape the future. It stands as a powerful testament to Naa Shika Adu’s commitment to driving meaningful change beyond the tennis court.