If you stroll past The ARMANDO CABRAL Mercado in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, you might very likely find yourself stopped in front of its windows, attention snatched and intrigued by the unique sculptures staring back at you. Short, clever and comprised entirely of shoes from the ARMANDO CABRAL Collection, these African figures, crafted by artist Willie Cole, are designed to inspire.
Critically acclaimed for taking everyday objects and reimagining them as complex works of art, Cole’s past pieces utilize symbolic domestic items such as irons, high-heeled shoes, and hairdryers—complex in both structure and cultural significance—with each resulting sculpture offering a powerful comment on African history within America.
“For this project I wanted to exercise the power of the wearer,” says Cole. “Energy is in everything and when you wear something, your energy is in that, too. I began to play—no sketches—to follow what the shoes were leading me to.”