NBA Nigeria is hosting the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, which is underway at The Federal Palace in Lagos, Nigeria until Sunday, Nov. 3.
This year’s “NBA Meets Art” will showcase the work of Nigerian pop artist and illustrator Williams Chechet through an installation titled “Breaking Barriers,” which explores the role of basketball in shaping new identities, inspiring hope and encouraging the next generation to dream beyond their present limitations.
The installation intertwines the game’s energy with cultural symbols and the spirit of activism to represent limitless possibility. The main element of the artwork features the hands of different people reaching out to grab a ball together, reinforcing the idea of collaboration.
“Breaking Barriers” uses the physical and metaphorical dynamics of basketball, such as teamwork, movement, strategy and goal setting, as a powerful analogy for the continuous struggle for change.
The artwork is integrated with augmented reality technology, where visitors can scan a QR code after which the artwork comes to life in animated form on their mobile phones, which they can record and share on their social media channels. Visitors can also help create an art collage by cutting and trimming colorful images from magazines and newspapers at the installation.
“NBA Meets Art continues to be a great platform that represents the unique intersection of basketball and African culture. For the third edition, we are excited to deepen our engagement at Art X Lagos through the work of Williams Chechet, an artist from Northern Nigeria who draws his basketball inspiration from playing basketball in Zaria,” said Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu.
“As we continue to explore our heritage and Nigeria’s impact on basketball, art, and culture, we celebrate the role of the game in building connections, redefining limits, breaking barriers, and inspiring the next generation of African youth to dream big. We look forward to seeing basketball and art lovers at Art X this weekend.”
Last year’s “NBA Meets Art” featured the work of Dennis Osadebe at an installation at Art X Lagos titled, “Passing / Building / Victory,” which explored the key role of teamwork on the court and how similar collaboration can help develop communities, aligning with the NBA’s mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.
The initiative launched in Nov. 2022 with an evening reception that brought together industry leaders from fashion, music, art, business, and sports and showcased Nigerian art through music, fashion, and a photo display.
