Glenn Kaino, born, raised, and still residing in LA, is an artist who consistently believes in the forward momentum that art can possess to build community and create change in the world.
Kaino’s Sails is a near life-sized, black painted steel and wood clipper ship that combines what he loves most: art, social justice, and basketball. The work begins with the metaphor of the ship’s sails, which here take the form of backboards and basketball nets. For Kaino, sails are what propel a ship forward. By transforming them into backboards and nets, he reminds us that our shared love of basketball builds community, which can only strengthen our shared humanity. Kaino’s Sails reminds us of the unique ability of basketball to see a larger picture for the world. The backboard sails of his ship don’t just resemble the pristine equipment in the Intuit Dome; they reference those found on home courts throughout the city, bringing together the community and the team. Ultimately, Kaino uses basketball as a canvas for expression. It is the wind in the sails that unifies people, bringing them into a new future and propelling the clipper ship like a ball swishing through the net.