“The BooRay! King” Becomes the Face of Artist Tony Barone’s Portrait Series (Palm Springs, CA) – Internationally recognized artist Tony Barone has unveiled his latest work, The BooRay! King, a hyper-realistic portrait honoring Kahari S. Nash, the gaming innovator credited with bringing the historic card game BooRay! into casinos around the world.
Barone, best known for his large-scale biographical portraits, also named Nash as the global brand ambassador for his ongoing portrait series, which celebrates cultural icons, athletes, philanthropists, and everyday figures whose lives tell powerful stories.
The 54-by-30-inch oil painting chronicles Nash’s path as the “BooRay! King,” tracing the card game’s French royal origins and its crossover into American sports and entertainment before arriving at the casino floor. Archival reproductions of the portrait are set to be installed at BooRay! gaming tables internationally, extending both the game’s and the artwork’s global reach.
“As the face of BooRay!, Kahari exemplifies what it means to transform passion into legacy,” Barone said. “It’s an honor to tell his story through portraiture and to collaborate on this next chapter—bringing biographical art into new spaces, new audiences, and entirely new conversations.”
For Nash, the collaboration is both personal and symbolic. “Being seen through Tony Barone’s lens is surreal—in the best way,” he said. “His portraiture doesn’t just capture me—it tells a story about chasing an idea, betting on it, and turning it into something real.”
The announcement comes at a milestone moment for the Barones. Tony and his wife, Karen Barone—longtime collaborators in monumental public art—will soon receive a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars. Their honor will be located near the Forever Marilyn sculpture, cementing their influence on the city’s cultural landscape.
Through his portrait series, Barone aims to merge fine art with personal storytelling. With Nash now at the forefront, the series expands into the world of gaming, further broadening its cultural scope.
More information on the Barones’ work is available at BaroneArt.com, and details about BooRay! can be found at BooRay.com.
“The BooRay! King” Becomes the Face of Artist Tony Barone’s Portrait Series
