(The Black Mamba, Above Left) — On the 23rd of August 1978, Kobe Bryant, a.k.a The Black Mamba was born. Kobe spent 20 seasons in the NBA showcasing his iconic playstyle which was much like the snake itself. A relentless attacker with fantastic coordination and fundamentals, Kobe had the ability to break down any defender 1 on 1 and took over games with the
best of them.
(The Object of Desire, Above Right) — The one and only object of desire, the basketball. The sleepless nights after a bad game, the summer afternoons with the squad at the park. Fans of the game are born with the desire to play, to compete and to be involved in the culture of the game.
Ukiyo-e Art Combining Basketball And Japanese Culture By Andrew Archer.
(The Bunny, Above Left) — Bunnies, hops, ups or just jumping. Every ball player wants as much bunnies as possible, the higher you can jump the greater the dunk. This iconic coastal scene capturing the explosiveness of a basketball dunk is sure to impress.
(The Ghost, Above Right) — The second of the two original artworks which inspired the series. Yūrei is a faint spirit or also a ghost in the Japanese culture and religion. There are many different types of Yūrei, and they differ in many ways depending on the circumstances on their death.
Edo Ball started in 2013 with two personal artworks I created, The Rock & The Ghost. These artworks were created from the love and passion of the game of Basketball, Ukiyo-e art and Japanese culture. The subjects mixed together seamlessly and were incredibly popular with the Basketball and Japanese culture communities.
After multiple project collaborations with basketball brands based on the two popular artworks, I decided in mid 2016 to revisit the series. They had always been on my mind and my passion for the game and culture was forever growing.
Over the last 12 months I have patiently crafted 8 new original artworks to accompany the original 2 artworks. Each artwork has a story behind it. Some are based on Japanese mythology and culture, others are narratives based on players nick-names and some are created from popular sayings from the game of basketball.
All of the artworks are available as Giclee prints, postcards and ‘bento box’ combination packs which consist of a mix of the two and T-shirts at
edoball.com & the
store.
Over the next couple of months while the NBA playoffs are going I’ll also be doing giveaway’s of prints, postcards and T-shirts on my
Instagram to celebrate the series and playoffs!
This is my tribute to the game.
THE REIGN MAN & THE SPLASH BROTHERS
雨人 & スプラッシュ兄弟
(The Reign Man, Above Left) — Shawn Kemp, a.k.a The Reign Man was born November 26, 1969 and was one of the greatest high flyers of them all. He spent the majority of his NBA years playing for the Seattle Supersonics, a city which is notoriously known for always raining. Kemps signature shoe, The Kamikaze is one of the most unique shoes to bless the hardwood and matched his on-court personality flawlessly.
(The Splash Brothers, Above Right) — Steph Curry & Klay Thompson are The Splash Brothers, the starting PG & SG duo of the Golden State Warriors. The Splash Brothers nickname refers to the duo’s ability to “splash” the net with the ball, particularly on three-point shots. Arguably two of the greatest shooters of all-time, The Splash Brothers can make it rain from anywhere on the court. The shooting range, quickness of release and fundamentally sound shooting form makes them a tough cover for anyone.
THE ROCK & THE SNIPER
(The Rock, Above Left) — One of the two original artworks which inspired the series. The Rock (a nickname for the basketball) is the centrepiece in the game of basketball. It lives, it gives, it takes away and the rock never lies. Maybe the most amazing attribute of The Rock is it’s ability to bring people together from all cultures, religions and backgrounds. Anybody can get in a game and shoot The Rock.
(The Sniper, Above Right) — We have all have played against a sniper, a long range shooter who camps on the three point line raining down shots from a distance. This iconic artwork of Sir Snipealot showcases the fundamental shooting form possessed by the games best shooters.
But there is also another sniper in the game, the one responsible for flopping. A
flop is an intentional
fall by a player after little or no physical contact by an opposing player in order to draw a personal foul.
You can find more art by Andrew Archer HERE.
