The beautiful tribute is back.
It’s hard to believe that it’s coming close to being a year since we lost the NBA legend, Kobe Bryant. The helicopter crash in Calabasas tragically took Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, along with the rest of the passengers on January 26, 2020. What followed was a global display of mourning. Buildings lit up in purple and gold with fans leaving heartfelt messages alongside mountains of flowers during the memorial at Staples Center. [Featured Image: @kobemural ]
Along with that, artists around the world took up walls around cities with beautiful tribute murals. One of the most notable ones was a massive piece by Mr. Brainwash on South La Brea Avenue. This wall has changed faces a few times since the piece went up outside the L.A.-based artist’s studio. Most recently, it was a mural that read “Vote” in blue, red and green.
However, it seems the black and white photographic paste-up of Gigi and Bryant in his Lakers jersey is back up, just as the year is about to end and the date of the accident draws nearer.
Originally from France, Banksy, also known as Thierry Guetta, has lived in Los Angeles for 30 years. He has always had a name on the East Coast, but it was the Academy Award-nominated documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop that catapulted his career and put him in the global spotlight. Although he’s dabbled in creating album covers for Madonna’s likes, he has continued to make his studio wall a personal message board to inspire fellow Angelenos with his positivity and relentless enthusiasm as an artist.
Location: 1255 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles 90019
Find all the latest Kobe murals on this dedicated site with a free map.