ANTTI KYRÖ

SWISH!

the analysis written by editor-in-chief of Kuvittaja magazine Henna Hietamäki

The fall season of Galleria Kuvitus begins with Antti Kyrö’s basketball-themed exhibition.

”Already as a child, I fell in love with the visuals of the NBA basketball league. I was attracted to the fast tempo of the game, the incredible performances of the players and them combined with graphic uniforms, colorful logos and mascots,” says Kyrö.

In the last decade, the love for the sport was rekindled when the national basketball “hype” began to develop around the success of Susijengi, the Finnish men’s national team. ”I started drawing well-known basketball players for fun. The drawings slowly developed into a series that I have published on Instagram with the hashtag #drawmelikeoneofyourballers,” says Kyrö.

Kyrö has realized that there is a gap between the worlds of art and sports that should be bridged. ”Illustration would have a much greater potential than currently in sports journalism and sports marketing.”