Kobe Bryant beach art tribute commissioned by local cafe
This stunning Brighton beach art tribute to Kobe Bryant – made by an Adelaide artist on Monday – has gone viral.
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A Brighton sand tribute to late basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna has drawn worldwide attention.
The mandala piece was drawn in the sand by artist Sue Norman on Monday morning after a request from CREAM cafe owner Josh Rivers.
Mr Rivers said he and his staff were “massive” basketball and Los Angeles Lakers fans and Bryant’s death had shaken the whole cafe.
“Kobe is like an immortal hero,” Mr Rivers said.
“Sue said she was doing a mandala on Monday and myself and another customer, Tim, asked if she would mind doing a tribute to Kobe and that was it.”
He also hired a drone so he could get photos and footage of the work, which has since been shared widely on social media.
Facebook page Basketball Forever, which has three million followers, gained 16,000 ‘likes’ on the photo within an hour.
Ms Norman, who has been making art at Brighton for four years, said the reaction from passers-by had been overwhelmingly positive.
“I feel quite honoured to be asked to do it,” Ms Norman said.
“I’m usually a bit focused but it had a greater age range interested and it was lovely to chat with some younger people, as well as the older people.
“There were a group of Americans on holiday and they thought it was a beautiful tribute.”
Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26 that also claimed the life of eight others including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, two of her young teammates as well as parents, coaches and the pilot.