Awards
Recreating basketball championship objects
For a first year group project at Goldsmiths, we researched and recreated basketball championship objects: a ring, a full scale trophy, and the table and backdrop used to present them. Our task was to make replicas of real basketball ephemera through research, practice and making.
- Type
- Group project / replica making
- Course
- BA Design, Goldsmiths, University of London
- Year
- 2023
- Team
- Alexander Terry, Bralee Laodumrongkul (Prim), Mara-Sophie Molzahn, Jaehee Jang (J), and Wonhee Lee (Wuanny)
Championship Trophy Cup
We researched the trophy’s dimensions and details to recreate it at full scale. I first tested air-dry clay, but it had still not dried after five days. We then developed an internal foam board structure covered with thick paper. I drew the blueprints in Rhino and cut the foam board to the required measurements.
Building the curves
We made the ball at the top from curved, oval-shaped pieces of paper and used masking tape to smooth its surface. After spray-painting the trophy gold, Alex, Prim and I painted the details with a thin brush. We added 1 kg of air-dry clay to give the trophy a more realistic weight when held.
Championship Ring
The group researched the 2023 Denver Nuggets championship ring and recreated it in three parts: a large ring, a smaller detachable ring, and the face. Alex modelled and resin-printed the pieces. Mara applied the rhinestones individually and added gold leaf to the smaller ring. A printed championship banner completed the detail.
Trophy Display / Award Table
Jaehee and Prim developed the blue fabric backdrop using screen printing, with sublimation printing for the red and yellow details. Jaehee joined two pieces of fabric and added holes for hanging. We made the display table from three boxes and a circular foam board top, covered with blue fabric.
The complete set
The backdrop, ring and trophy came together as a recreation of the reference image in the brief. Working as a team, we learned through material tests, model making and printing, including the difficulty of shaping a sphere by hand and the limits of clay within a short making period.