ARTIST STATEMENT

Khadeem Beck is a native of Dallas, Texas. His interest in art comes from observing and making it. He enjoys creating graphics, exploring fan art and experimenting with different editing apps and design software. Khadeem is always open to learning new tools and techniques. Music, sneakers, cartoons, sports and video games interests him the most and he likes to see how others create and design these things. As a fan of sports life football and basketball, Khadeem watches the teams’ social media pages during the postseason to see what kind of new graphics, animations, or hype videos they put out. For Khadeem, it’s fun to see how design plays a role in energy and fan connection. He likes to add his own spin to designs such as fan art or album covers  for his favorite artists. 

THESIS STATEMENT

Sneakers bring a community of people together who have a common passion and interest. As well as being influenced by music, sports, and street fashion, the sneaker culture has created new styles and trends over the last few decades. There is a social interested created for people when they attend events, take part in online blogs, and participate in trading and selling. There is more to sneaker culture than just having the latest shoes and buying the most hyped shoe yet to be released. Taking part in sneaker conventions and meetups are some of the ways that we bring everyone together to showcase their passion and tell their stories about the sneakers they collect. In the end, sneaker culture is as much about the people as it is about the shoes. 

My project, Beyond the Laces, is designed to mirror a sneaker boutique, showcasing old and new sneakers. My installation reflects the connections sneakers have to streetwear, hip hop, and graffiti culture. Whether I am using older sneakers hanging on power lines, or giving them a new artistic meaning, I want to help create new memories. In addition, the installation will highlight how sneakers have evolved through new technology and innovative designs. This will help shift the focus away from the looks and hype and bring attention to the history and evolution of sneaker design and companies. The viewer will explore how some of the biggest sneaker brands were created and how they’ve grown over the years. It does not matter if it’s some old sneakers you have, a budget sneaker no one cares about, or something that has hype. Every sneaker has a story to tell. 

PROJECT WORK