Puma has collaborated with African-American painter Kehinde Wiley to create a spring-summer 2010 apparel collection. The collection based on seven graphics themes from Kehinde Wiley’s works will include shirts, leggings, jackets, tops, footwear, and accessories on the theme of Africa.
To create some buzz around its African lifestyle collection and the World Cup, Puma announced earlier this month, that they will be organizing an exhibition with artist Kehinde Willey that will be in conjunction with the Football World Cup that will be held in June 2010 in South Africa.
New York based artist Kehinde Wiley whose work has been describe with “intensity” and “passion,” has gained worldwide recognition for his unique style in which he paints hip hop artists such as LL Cool J, Notorious B.I.G, and contemporary urban African-Americans in poses taken from the annals of art history while combining urban style with typically african stagings drawned from traditional paintings.
Puma hopes that Africa, which will welcome its first Football World Cup event will definitely get the attention it deserves. And with Wiley’s love for using bold and vivid colors in his paintings, the footwear company can rest assure that the vision they both have for the collection and exhibition will bring them much needed publicity and give the world another look of the African continent.
To showcase Mr. Kehinde Wiley’s work and to celebrate this great collaboration, the exhibit which will be based on Africa’s rich and vibrant culture will be on display at the L’Espace de La Topographie de l’Art in Paris, France on February 4, 2010 to February 7, 2010.
Written by Roberte Varasse
