00:02Art has the amazing capacity to start a conversation. It's not limited to what you
00:08see with your eye. It takes a step further. I feel that my art empowers other people.
00:14They see that there's this female painting, this really big mural on the
00:19wall. So by being the example of how I do it is something that empowers them to do
00:36the same the idea of coming together with nine other artists with our own
00:40respective skill set is really about celebrating those diversities and
00:45highlighting the beauty of each of these 50 states. Also working with Adidas
00:49brands the whole active healthy lifestyle and inspire others through our art.
00:54Being active it's a way for me to refocus, start the day with a clear head and a
00:59clear vision of what I want to create for the day. America is a place where my
01:04family came to live out their dreams. Independence means that you can get up
01:09every day and you can live your life the way that you want to. Being a female
01:13feeling independent it's the most incredible thing and I value that and I'm
01:17so incredibly grateful for it.
01:23So the inspiration for each shoe design is what directly inspires me from each
01:28state. For the Massachusetts shoe I drew from the varsity theme idea as well as
01:34some Americana iconography and colors like stars and stripes. For the New York
01:41shoe I pulled from my own direct experience with the graffiti culture,
01:45brownstone buildings, spray paint, a lot of just graffiti kind of elements into it.
01:50The Ultra Boost X it's a little bit untraditional of a canvas for me to paint on
01:55but that's what made this so exciting was the idea of challenging myself. First time
02:01visiting California was a few years ago. You know the wide open spaces, the water,
02:05the vibrant punchy colors, Venice Beach. I really wanted the shoes to sort of
02:10represent the landscapes that women would be running through if they were to visit
02:15these states. This project is for women by women and I'm very proud to be part of
02:20that. Whatever I can do with my platforms as an artist to speak up for myself to
02:25speak up for other women I just want to see us as individuals who are empowered to
02:30do what we want to do. It feels really great to be part of this collective of
02:35women artists and it's all about unity and community. There's a saying that a
02:41candle doesn't lose its light by lighting another candle and I think that's
02:45exactly what we're doing with this project is that we are shining a light on
02:49one another and celebrating the diversity of this country.
Comments