“HISTORY OF A SHOE” Painting

5ftx4ft acrylic on canvas painting (April 2023), I made this one for &gallery’s “SILENT SOLES” group exhibition at their gallery in downtown Tucson, Arizona, located on historic 4th Avenue. This show was all about sneakers and paying homage to one of the biggest fashion staples in streetwear. Nike sneakers, dunks, air max, and air force 1s! So naturally, I chose the Nike dunk. I did in depth research about the shoe’s culture, history, and how Nike shoes met skateboarding culture in the 1970s. However, I changed it up a little bit by making the character a woman, rocking her nike dunks on the way to the skatepark. Since women weren’t at the forefront of the culture in the 70s and 80s, I decided to make her the shining star. This painting sold for $1,200 during the gallery’s exhibition.