Create Art on Comic Sneakers Until Cesária.

In a corner of Cape Verdean culture, Marilson Tavares, gardener at the Cape Verde parliament and aspiring painter, finds his expression of passion and talent in customizing sneakers.

At the age of 20, he transforms simple sneakers into works of art, shared on Instagram as 'Arte Dnox Crioulo Official'. While facing financial obstacles, he remains determined to fulfill his dream of being a great painter, driven by a teacher who believed in his potential since childhood.

Art on Sneakers

A pair of sneakers with a drawing by Cesária Évora, voice of morna and icon of Cape Verdean culture, gains prominence on Marilson Tavares' page on the social network Instagram, where the popularity of her art of customizing sneakers is growing.

Marilson, 20 years old, is a gardener at the Cape Verdean parliament in Praia, but since childhood he has impressed everyone around him with his drawings and paintings. He grew up wanting to be " a great painter ," but a lack of income has hampered his dream, leaving the restoration and painting of sneakers as a visible sign of his passion, which he signs online as 'Arte Dnox Crioulo Official'.

After completing her 12th year of schooling, she enrolled in a drawing and painting course in 2022, but did not finish it. " I ended up dropping out ," she says regretfully, due to a lack of money to pay for tuition and transportation, because she wanted to " gain knowledge " and experience from others who were also dedicated to the arts.

Despite the obstacles, he maintains his ambition, thanks to a particular motivation he received when he was a child:

“Some didn't believe it, but my teacher had so much confidence in me that she said that, one day, I would be able to achieve my dream. And I don’t want to give up.”

With a vocation known to everyone, some friends began to suggest that he apply art to ready-to-wear or sneakers and thus he launched a career that makes social media his main showcase.

The Challenge of Being an Artist

Marilson lives at his mother's house, in Várzea, one of Praia's central neighborhoods, and is in a room still under construction that occupies a single table with brushes, acrylic paints, an 'airbrush' (the name given to the painting machine) and a hairdryer. hair. Next door, a shoe rack is almost full with orders, not only from Cape Verde, but also from Portugal and France.

“When I started making realistic designs on customers’ shoes, I saw that they weren’t satisfied. It’s an immense challenge.”

“I have an airbrush, but it's weak, the work doesn't turn out the way I want and clients want perfection.”

It's a challenge compounded by the lack of resources to " buy all the equipment ," he says. That's why, whenever he can, he saves to invest in the business.

It takes four hours to design a pair of sneakers, be it a sunflower design, or to make someone's face - besides Cize (Cesária), on sneakers that he already sold and also Amílcar Cabral, founder of independence, was an icon that has already painted.

Historical figures appear alongside comic book heroes, and each customization costs three thousand escudos (27 euros), " an affordable price ," considering the balance between the country's economic crisis and the demands of the art.

Conclusion

The sneakers transformed by Marilson stop being a piece of footwear and become living canvases. The young artist, despite interruptions in his training due to financial problems, among comic book heroes, channels Cape Verdean history, from Cesária Évora to Amílcar Cabral, in his drawings.

Each pair, meticulously designed in approximately four hours, balances creativity, art and the country's economic reality, making Marilson's work a unique fusion of creativity and pragmatism. This is a unique dive into Cape Verdean artistic expression, where the lack of resources does not limit the vibrant vision of its author.

What do you think of this Cape Verdean's innovation in making art on sneakers? We want to know your opinion, don't hesitate to comment, and if you liked the article, share it and give it a "like".

Picture: © 2023 Elton Monteiro