By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The “Sk8-Hi Art” exhibition will open on Thursday, September 1st and continue through Saturday, September 24th in the Galeria Homegrown Ipanema. Presented by American shoe manufacturing company Vans, the mixed media exhibition will feature works by graphic designer Flavio Sponton that pay homage to Vans’ iconic Sk8-Hi model of sneakers.
Known for his work customizing products for Vans in Brazil’s “Van Days,” Flavio Sponton used screens, various elements, and the sneakers to create the works in the “Sk8-Hi Art” exhibition.
Originally released in 1978, the Sk8-Hi model was the first high-top sneaker model manufactured by the brand. During the decades that followed, skaters, athletes, musicians, artists, and others around the world wore the sneakers, turning them into one of the symbols of skate and street cultures.
The Galeria Homegrown Ipanema opened in 2006 as a contemporary art space located above Homegrown, a clothing and footwear store that specializes in fashion that celebrates skateboarding, graffiti, and urban culture.
The gallery space became known for hosting exhibitions by Brazilian and international artists that range from street artists to illustrators to photographers to designers to tattoo artists.
“Sk8-Hi Art” follows the “The Art of Mixing“, an exhibition that celebrated the global launch of the Japanese sports brand, Onitsuka Tiger’s “The Art of Mixing” campaign.
For additional information about the “Sk8-Hi Art” exhibition, see the Galeria Homegrown Ipanema Facebook page.
What: “Sk8-Hi Art” Exhibition with art by Flavio Sponton
When: Opening – Thursady, September 1st, 6PM – 10PM, Exhibition will run from September 1st through September 24th.
Where: Homegrown Galeria, R. Maria Quitéria, 68 – Ipanema
Entrance: FREE