Shoe manufacturing company Converse continues its mission as a platform for youth progress through its new CX Artist Series.
This global movement is about matching Converse All-Stars with mentors in the creative industry to collaborate on the creative transformation of blank space.
Three talented all-stars, Barney, Tshepo and Murunwa Mutele, participated in a seven-day programme, curating unique art pieces on a completely blank canvas.
Barney, from Joburg, explains his piece as an expression of happiness.
“I’m using this opportunity to express how difficult it is to be one type of ‘happy’ or live up to someone’s definition of happiness. For me, happiness comes through self-reflection. I find my true happiness when I reflect on who I am and how I choose to be seen in this world. Let me show you my happiness through self-reflection and see what I can Create Next,” he says.
Representing Pretoria, Tshepo has used this opportunity to reflect on his journey as an artist.
“This opportunity allows me to create a room full of self-compliments, self-belief, love and appreciation for my work as an artist. This is not only an opportunity for myself but also for other creatives who are still discovering themselves. Visual arts is therapeutic and can be used to uplift people’s spirits, and that is just what I want to do with this opportunity of Creating Next”.
Murunwa, from Joburg, says for many years she has focused on one form of art and is now able to explore other creativeness.
“I believed that the kind of art I was doing was never good enough and could never be art that will be appreciated by the masses. However, this opportunity requires one to express their kind of art and understand that we can all be creative of whatever category we want. I will use this opportunity as an underrepresented creative to start a movement that appreciates all types of art by helping artists like me to reflect on themselves and understand that their art is worth sharing with the world,”
Their pieces are displayed at Mangrove Street in Braamfontein.