“A society without art is simply dead, art gives, art saves lives. “
My name is Julio Aguilera,
I was born in a ghetto of Caracas, Venezuela.
Having been raised only by my grandmother (an immigrant from Spain), our day-to-day life was a struggle. During my youth, the first way I found I could contribute to the family was by shining shoes. Shining shoes was the catalyst to finding my way out of the slums. Through shining shoes I met a person who gave me the opportunity to be able to learn martial arts. Martial arts gave me a purpose, a direction and it saved my life. But my true passion was the Arts. Some 40+ years later, I find myself returning to my past in this project by integrating my art with each shoe.
This Kickstarter project will help bring it to life.
While I advanced to Black Belt in 1978 and earned a Sixth Dan (degree) ranking in Kung Fu in 1987, I became a World Champion in 1987 (Photo ). While Martial arts gave me mental and physical discipline, being a creative artist has always been my true passion.
When visiting a friend one day, he had some shoes (video above) and I saw these shoes as representing the hope behind my childhood. Then it came to me, WOW!, these shoes will be my new canvas and I could integrate my art onto them. When I saw them, I decided that I could hand paint my graffiti work on each one of them, in this way each pair becomes one of a kind. My goal is to illustrate the idea of hope in each shoe, each sole. In this video you can see some of the results.
When I apply the paint to each shoe, the elements and characters come to my mind, by doing so each shoe becomes unique in brush strokes and texture. Each person will have their own unique expression and style of shoe.
My goal is to buy the first 1,500 pairs of shoes directly from a factory, by securing them at the best possible price and quality.
With your support I will transform each pair into a unique work of art, each pair will be signed and numbered and will come with a Certificate of Authenticity.
This project will help me to continue with new collections of different style of shoes and colors. Then later expand to t-shirts, pants, women's purses, a line of Golf apparel, various hats and caps, all with unique graffiti art work. Also I'm in the development phase of creating a unique NFT (Non-Fungible Token). I will bring light on crypto art through the "graffiti shoes" and for all of you that become a backer, I will personally invite you to participate in the NFT pre-launch drops (the term 'drop is NFT terminology to express the exact time and date the NFT minting will occur). As a token of gratitude I will invite you the backer of my Kickstarter graffiti shoe project to participate in the NFT drops we will offer. I will create a White List to allow backers to get in early and keep you up-to-date for other NFT related to my Art.
In the introduction I posted a photograph of the black shoes after I hand painted them together with the art printed shoe box. The shoe box will be printed with the graffiti on it, like in the prototype photo below.
Also, in the introduction video I showed the shoes in different colors and sizes, each I hand painted to illustrate to you, my supporters, how they will look after I hand paint them.
(Above are some of my work in graffiti).
Part of the proceeds from this project is to create an online showcase and point of sales. Then eventually to open a showroom and art gallery in Wynwood, the art district of Miami Florida.
For the past 40+ years, I have been creating many different styles of art and expression in different types of media. My goal is to create a place for people to come to reflect and unveil their imaginations.
Our individuality and uniqueness is tested everyday in the chaos and madness of our "ever changing society".
For now the shoes are my canvas, they are the impetus behind this project.
With your contribution and backing along with my creativity, I am honored to be able to share my passion.
I thank you in advance
Julio Aguilera
Some of my others Works:
Smoking Pipe Sculpture installation at Mana Winwood Miami, FL
Some of my Charity events
Some of my Oils in Canvas:
SUPPORT THEIR CAMPAIGN: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/julioaguilera/julio-aguilera-hand-painted-graffiti-shoes
