Amateur vs Professional
Acrylic on Canvas - original artwork.
Artist: Riccardo Nannini (a.k.a. Cane)
Year: 2023
In Amateur vs Professional, Riccardo Nannini transforms the basketball court into a surreal arena where identity, power, and cultural symbols collide. Executed in vibrant acrylic on canvas, this 50 × 50 cm piece depicts an otherworldly showdown: an alien wearing a Lakers uniform, a bearded white guy in a Bulls jersey, and a shirtless, heavily tattooed figure sporting a raccoon hat reminiscent of the one worn by the man who stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Nannini’s meticulous rendering and sharp color palette heighten the absurdity of the scene, blurring the line between the everyday and the fantastical. His signature style—blending pop culture references with biting social commentary—invites viewers to question notions of competition, identity, and the thin divide between the amateur and the professional in a society where performance often eclipses authenticity.
Through this playful yet provocative tableau, Nannini challenges us to reflect on the cultural myths we construct, the heroes and villains we create, and the shifting boundaries that define the game, on the court and beyond.