Victor Solomon revives LA basketball court with Japanese art of kintsugi

Artist Victor Solomon recently repaired a run down LA basketball court using the Japanese technique of Kintsugi. The transformed basketball court now has the many cracks filled in with gold dusted resin inspired by the ancient process, titled Kintsugi Court. Kintsugi (金継ぎ, "golden joinery") is a technique that emphasises an object’s repair with gold to give prominence to its journey. 

Kintsugi Court was created to celebrate basketball being a universally accessible sport, described by Victor as a ”class-agnostic, race-indifferent platform-and its ability to bring people together to heal in this important moment”. As the sport officially has returned following a covid impacted 2020, Kintsugi Court brings people together much like the fragmented sections of the court joined with golden resin.

To create the court, Victor Solomon and his team cleaned the cracks of dust and dirt. The cracks were then filled with resin mixed with glitter, followed by another layer of pigment dusted over the top. This process created vivid gold lines mapping the whole court, before being finished with new white painted markings and transparent backboards with gold coloured hoops. 

To see more of Victor Solomon’s ongoing work visit Literally Balling