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There’s no doubt that India is a melting pot of diverse ideas and traditions, however, it often happens that certain subcultures do cast a shadow on the rest. For instance, in a cricket loving country like ours, many other sports and their respective athletes rarely get a moment to shine. Similarly, amidst the Bollywood pantheon, we often forget that there are so many other fascinating art-forms beyond film-making. This is why it’s important to create moments that nurture these cultures and push the narrative forward, and #NBAInMyBackyard does exactly that.
As NBA makes history in India by hosting two preseason games between Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in Mumbai on October 4th and 5th, their #NBAInMyBackyard has collaborated with four talented graffiti artist from across India in an effort to make Mumbai walls their canvas and fill it with their interpretations of the campaign. Both basketball and street-art have been brewing in the contemporary paradigm of India’s youth culture and it’s about time they crossed paths in such interesting ways.
And they’ve roped in some of the country’s fierce talents to form what seems to be nothing short of a super-group of street artists. NME, is one of India’s premier graffiti artists who started out with representing himself through tags and throwies across Mumbai. Mooz, is one of the few pioneers of the Indian graffiti scene known for his love for comics and animation. Minzo is a freelancer graffitists who takes clean walls and turns them into his own masterpieces whereas Dexter is known sway to the beats of his inner rhythm lest his hand sprays his dreams onto the walls.
These vibrant graffitis are found near St. Regis hotel and Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai and impeccably capture the spirit of #NBAInMyBackyard. When asked about the inspiration and creative process behind the installation, Mooz tells us, “I try to highlight the aspects of basketball and merged it with the spirit of Mumbai. So I put elements such as BEST buses, Bollywood and gateway of India.” The installations pop with colours and characters and truly combine the cultural athleticism of basketball with the gritty nature of Mumbai’s backyard.
It’s a big step not only for basketball fans across the country but also pushes the envelope for street art. “The only way we can make subcultures grow is by collaborating with new people. I can feel the change as more and more people are getting curious about street art and show appreciation for the work I do”, says Minzo.
So in that spirit, we are giving away free NBA merchandise like sneakers and t-shirts to some of our lucky readers. All you’ve to do is answer a couple of questions on our google form here.
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