Born in Fontana, California in 1991, Natnael ‘Nat’ Berhe became the first Eritrean American player drafted in NFL history when the New York Giants selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. A standout safety at San Diego State University, Berhe earned the nickname ‘The Missile’ for his fearless hitting style. He played 42 games across five NFL seasons with the New York Giants (2014 to 2017) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2018).

The transition from football to art was not a retirement. It was a redirection. Berhe had been painting privately for years, working through the same questions on canvas that he carried onto the field: what does it mean to perform under pressure, to wear a uniform, to be watched by thousands and still feel invisible? When his playing career ended, the studio became the new arena.

His work in oil on canvas is rooted in figurative abstract expressionism, blending bold composition with raw, physical texture. The paintings are large, often confrontational, built with thick impasto brushwork that gives every surface a sculptural presence. Ghostlike figures emerge from fields of vivid, clashing color. Skulls wear military regalia. Children hold weapons. Men in suits dissolve into noise. The themes are identity, struggle, power, and transcendence, explored with the same controlled intensity that once defined his play on the field.

In 2025, four of Berhe’s paintings were selected for exhibition at the Sasse Museum of Art in Pomona, California for the show “Colorstraction: A Personal Perspective.” It was his first major institutional showing, and it confirmed what collectors had already begun to recognize: this is an artist working at a level that demands attention. His gallery launched in 2024, and the inaugural live auction of eight museum quality originals is scheduled for July 6, 2026.