Collaborating with Dai Tamura, an illustration artist who depicts athletes from around the world and officially recognized by the National Basketball Association (NBA)
Auction sale of one limited edition Kohei Uchimura retirement commemoration digital art NFT
Sport Consulting Japan Co., Ltd. (head office: Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Roberto Tsukuda) has launched the KOHEI UCHIMURA PROJECT website to support the next generation of athletes and realize the dreams of professional gymnast Kohei Uchimura as he prepares to retire from active competition. URL: http://uchimura-kohei.com/project-en/
Gymnastics Legend - KOHEI UCHIMURA × DAI TAMURA -“ memorial art NFT *1 showcasing Kohei Uchimura's dynamic work by illustration artist Dai Tamura, will go on sale on Thursday, March 17.
On Friday, March 11, at a press conference announcing “KOHEI UCHIMURA THE FINAL“, the last performance of Kohei Uchimura's active career, Dai Tamura, an NBA-certified illustration artist who draws athletes from around the world, visited the event and presented an original collaboration artwork (one piece) depicting Kohei Uchimura, which will be made into an NFT*1 and sold in an auction.
*1 – NFT: Digital data with a token (electronic certificate) that can be used to prove ownership or authenticity using blockchain technology. Until now, digital data could not be proven to be of sole value because it could be easily copied or tampered with, but with NFT, the digital data can be proven to be authentic.
Dai Tamura and Kohei Uchimura Kohei Uchimura Retirement Commemorative Digital Art NFT
PROJECT No. 001: “Memorial Art of Gymnastics Legend - KOHEI UCHIMURA x DAI TAMURA -” (Collaboration between athlete Kohei Uchimura and artist Dai Tamura, who depicts memorable moments in global sports)
“Memorial Art of Gymnastics Legend - KOHEI UCHIMURA x DAI TAMURA -” is a collaboration between Dai Tamura, the overall winner of the ISCA Caricature World Championships, the world's largest illustration competition, and Kohei Uchimura, a multiple-time world champion gymnast. Tamura’s artwork, famous for his dynamic illustrations in the world of sports, depicting Uchimura, will be an NFT. The one-of-a-kind limited-edition piece will be available for sale via auction on OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT marketplace, from 9:00 PM Japan time (UTC+9 hours) on Thursday, March 17, 2022.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to support young athletes
A portion of proceeds from this NFT will be donated to “Never Stop Playing Sports” (https://spo-tome.com/en/), an organization featuring top athletes that supports the development of student athletes in all forms of competition.
NFT Design
Front
Uchimura’s aesthetic vision to “excite viewers” inspired him to choose the moment of landing for this piece, something he has been obsessing over – down to the millimeter – throughout his gymnastics career. By depicting the landing at the end of a routine, this piece can remind Uchimura’s fans how hard he has worked in his athletic career, all in a single scene. This dynamic piece showcases artist Tamura's greatest aim: “Making dreams come true for my audience.”
Background
The background depicts movements in the performance that Uchimura won his fifth consecutive World Gymnastics title in 2014, breaking the all-time-record. To highlight the landing scene, the work is composed of contrasting elements: stillness and motion, power and smoothness.
About Artist Dai Tamura
Best known for his dynamic, hand-drawn style using pens and color markers, he won first prize at the ISCA Caricature World Championships, the world’s largest illustration competition. In addition to serving as an illustrator officially recognized by the National Basketball Association (NBA), he has collaborated with numerous prominent athletes and brands in Japan and abroad.
https://www.instagram.com/dai.tamura
NFT piece: “Memorial Art of Gymnastics Legend - KOHEI UCHIMURA x DAI TAMURA -”
Number available: One
Sale format: Auction
Auction period: One week from March 17, 2022 (Thursday) at 9:00 PM Japan time (UTC+9 hours) Minimum bid: To be auctioned at an ETH (Ethereum) price equivalent to approximately 4,000,000 yen Sale platform: OpenSea
*Auction website is accessible through the special website “KOHEI UCHIMURA PROJECT”
URL: http://uchimura-kohei.com/project-en/
Payment method: ETH (Ethereum)
Memorial Art of Gymnastics Legend - KOHEI UCHIMURA x DAI TAMURA -
Press inquiries concerning this matter should be directed to:
Public Relations Office (Kyodo PR) Attn: Watanabe, Arai or Nagao
TEL: (+81) 03-6260-4855
FAX: 03-6260-6652
Email: scj-pr@kyodo-pr.co.jp