This work exists in the real world as a portrait of not only a friend, but a man whose admiration of a sports legend led him from his challenging, immigrant youth to great success in adulthood. Like all of my portraits, the sitter is not known or revealed to the viewer, but his or her intimate memories, stories, and objects of affection are on display. My subject considers himself an Angelino: deeply connected to the culture of the Los Angeles Lakers, he even had the opportunity to meet Kobe Bryant before his untimely death. He cites Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” (a reference to his nickname, Black Mamba) as a pathway towards stability and prosperity; a far cry from watching his parents working hard for little pay. By draping himself in a Lakers jersey, he memorializes Bryant and reaffirms his commitment to his hometown and its signature basketball team. Entitled “Mamba Mentality”, this painting has now found a second existence as an NFT. It is digitally rendered with a color-shifting background, designed for display in Ultra 4K in the metaverse.
fobthedogg
