{"id":765151,"date":"2026-06-28T05:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T05:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/765151\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T05:37:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T05:37:24","slug":"world-cup-paintings-by-natalia-testa-at-kcs-cafe-corazon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/765151\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup paintings by Natalia Testa at KC\u2019s Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Natalia<\/p>\n

Natalia Testa, an artist visiting from Buenos Aires, Argentina, poses for a portrait in front of her FIFA World Cup-themed artwork at the Crossroads location of Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Kansas City.<\/p>\n

Emily Curiel<\/p>\n

ecuriel@kcstar.com<\/p>\n

Natalia Testa has been visiting Kansas City from Buenos Aires, Argentina, since June 4. And yet, every time she walks through Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n\u2019s Crossroads doors, looping around the coffee bar and through the back room\u2019s doorway, her heart skips a beat.<\/p>\n

Like many artists, she never imagined that her paintings could find their way to a public showcase \u2014 let alone in a country she\u2019s never been to, and in Kansas City, her home country of Argentina\u2019s World Cup base camp. And what\u2019s more, in her long-lost cousin Miel Castagna-Herrera\u2019s coffee shop.<\/p>\n

\"Natalia Natalia Testa, left, an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and her cousin Miel Castagna-Herrera, co-owner of Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n, pose for a portrait beneath an illuminated neon sign at the Crossroads location of Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com <\/p>\n

Adorning the \u201cLa Galeria\u201d backroom walls are paintings of Lionel Messi kissing the FIFA World Cup trophy, a self-portrait of Testa in an Argentina jersey and a mind-bending view of Earth from space, rocketed by a soccer ball supernova. Testa loves painting eyes, and one of the pieces depicts an eyeball shattering on the impact of a silhouetted figure shooting a soccer ball at it like it\u2019s a net.<\/p>\n

But if it were up to her, instead of painting what she expects consumers to want, every single piece would be of her beloved Messi.<\/p>\n

Until July 15, Argentina fans looking for community or local fanatics can view and purchase the World Cup depicted through the eyes of an artist, f\u00fatbol lover and Argentinian woman in Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n at 110 Southwest Blvd<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA FIFA World Cup-themed artwork by Natalia Testa, an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is displayed for sale in a gallery at the Crossroads location of Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com <\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n is no stranger to elevating artists. Every month, they have an exhibition displayed in the \u201cLa Galeria\u201d backroom. It\u2019s free for the artist, and all earnings from sold paintings go right back to them. But Testa\u2019s exhibition as a family member is extra special for Castagna-Herrera, as both her father and daughter are artists as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that they can see (Testa\u2019s) passion for art, but also her passion for f\u00fatbol,\u201d Castagna-Herrera said. \u201cBut also (I hope that people) can appreciate her style, or how she\u2019s perceiving the World Cup through an artist\u2019s eye. Because we don\u2019t often mix sports and art.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cousins met only two years ago for the first time, when Castagna-Herrera\u2019s father returned to his home in Buenos Aires with her. Over a glass of wine, they concocted a plan. The World Cup was coming to Kansas City in 2026, and Testa should make a set of paintings to be displayed and celebrate the occasion.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA FIFA World Cup-themed artwork by Natalia Testa, an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is displayed for sale in a gallery at the Crossroads location of Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com <\/p>\n

Testa said Castagna-Herrera was adamant that her new cousin come along with the paintings. Testa was apprehensive at first.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Argentina, people don\u2019t really value art as much, but they value (yerba) mate,\u201d Testa said, speaking through a translator. \u201c(Castagna-Herrera) was all like \u2018OK, well, you could come, and we\u2019re going to have a big community here. It\u2019s just going to be a fun atmosphere.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

But now, she\u2019s more than glad she came.<\/p>\n

Testa only began delving into art as something more than doodling in 2018, when she pursued schooling for painting. Since childhood, she would pick up a pen to draw. She can\u2019t place why, but she has always been drawn to art. But obstacles veered her away from art for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had my kids very young, and then I had a career in cosmetology and aesthetics. I did work in cosmetology very little,\u201d Testa said.<\/p>\n

After schooling, she opened an art studio space in her home to teach children. But because art isn\u2019t valued as much in Argentina as the U.S., Testa said, the numbers of kids taking classes with her has been declining.<\/p>\n

In a bittersweet turn, this gave her more time to create her World Cup paintings, which took from November 2025 until May 2026.<\/p>\n

Normally, Testa prefers canvas for her oil paintings. But because they would weigh too much to transport to the U.S., she opted for oil-paint-friendly paper that could be framed for the final piece.<\/p>\n

Beyond the medium of her World Cup paintings, the subjects are different from what she is often attracted to paint.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have painted everything, but (I prefer) more femininity and the body, and eyes,\u201d Testa said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the anatomy of the woman, it\u2019s more like the femininity of the woman, the curves, the sexuality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Artwork Artwork by Natalia Testa, an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is displayed in a gallery at the Crossroads location of Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com <\/p>\n

A few of her sensual, feminine works are also on display for purchase at the caf\u00e9, separate from the World Cup display. But regardless of the subject of each painting, Testa always has one message in mind that she hopes anyone who views her work can experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always want people to see some representation of themselves in the paintings. It\u2019s obvious that everything I want the person to see in my paintings, they\u2019re not going to see it, and that\u2019s OK But I hope that someone sees something in themselves in my painting, somehow \u2014 a time in their life, something they remember, emotions in their life,\u201d Testa said. \u201cThat\u2019s my hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Testa said that only two paintings have sold so far. Castagna-Herrera points out that many international travelers have engaged with the art, but the paintings haven\u2019t seen much local interest.<\/p>\n

Argentinian TV news stations have reported on the exhibition, and Argentines have come to photograph and look at the paintings. In fact, one man went far enough to say that God placed his hands on him to come see Testa\u2019s art after asking if she believed in him herself.<\/p>\n

Even the Argentine soccer team has interacted with Testa and the display.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne player came and said \u2018I\u2019m going to take a painting to Messi,\u2019 but never came back,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA FIFA World Cup-themed artwork by Natalia Testa, an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is displayed for sale in a gallery at the Crossroads location of Caf\u00e9 Coraz\u00f3n on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Kansas City. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com <\/p>\n

Testa looks to her June 30 departure date with sadness \u2014 she will miss the comparatively calm and relaxing atmosphere of Kansas City in comparison to the bustling people and car horns of Ramos Mej\u00eda. But she\u2019s excited to return to her children and grandchild. She said sometimes, you just have to say goodbye.<\/p>\n

Testa hopes to be able to return sometime in the next couple of years, maybe with a new exhibition.<\/p>\n

Castagna-Herrera hopes that locals start asking about Testa\u2019s work before it comes of La Galeria\u2019s walls.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor locals, this is kind of a cool opportunity to buy a piece from a woman artist that made this show specially for the World Cup, and to commemorate that we have the World Cup in KC. It may never happen again,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a once in a lifetime moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

And of course, Messi, if you\u2019re reading, there\u2019s a painting for you to pick up, too.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Kansas City Star<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Sophie Lindberg<\/a><\/p>\n

The Kansas City Star<\/p>\n

Kansas City native Sophie Lindberg is studying journalism as a Don Ranly Scholarship recipient at Mizzou\u2019s journalism school. Experimenting with a variety of topics and storytelling mediums allows her to service Kansas Citians as she tackles everything from food to concerts to the World Cup.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Natalia Testa, an artist visiting from Buenos Aires, Argentina, poses for a portrait in front of her FIFA…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":765152,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":["post-765151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=765151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/765151\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/765152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=765151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=765151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=765151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}