[Photos] This Artist Creates Ukiyo-e Paintings of Basketball Stars

Edo-ball is what happens when one combines Japanese culture, professional basketball and ukiyo-e paintings.

Australian illustrator Andrew Archer started the Edo-ball project in 2013 with just two original artworks he created from his love of basketball and Japanese culture. However, the two prints quickly became popular due to their perfect blend of eastern mysticism and western athleticism.

“The subjects mixed together seamlessly and were incredibly popular with the basketball and Japanese culture communities,” Archer shared on the project’s Behance page. “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.”

The result of this renewed effort was eight new artworks created in the same fashion: popular professional basketball stars and terminologies portrayed as famous figures from Japanese mythology and culture. To read more about the story behind each print, visit the project’s official site.

[Photos via Behance user Andrew Archer]

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