Havana Club x Huney Studios
I was tasked to create a sneaker design inspired by Cuban street culture and I chose to focus on warmth, love and play.
(Number 7, Huney, August 2021, Acrylic on Nike Air Force Ones)
Floating Portrait // Doc Martens x HS
To close off this series of 4, this pair was the most fun to create. The abstract, formless faces with floating features symbolize ego death. The colours are nostalgic of childhood, playing and drawing for the sake of expression.
(Floating Portrait, Huney, April 2021, Acrylic on Doc Martens 1461 shoes)
Scorpio // Doc Martens x HS
Taking inspiration from esoteric art, this asymmetrical pair displays pastels, pops of colour and deconstructed illustrations.
(Scorpio, Huney, April 2021, Acrylic on Doc Martens 1461 shoes)
May Flowers // Doc Martens x HS
Pair 2/4 of this series takes inspiration from “April showers bring May flowers”. This pair themes around the cycle of growth, from shedding, budding and flowering.
(May Flowers, Huney, April 2021, Acrylic on Doc Martens 1461 shoes)
Confetti // Doc Martens x HS
Pair 1/4 of this series is inspired by Yves Klein Blue, vintage dixie cups. the 80s and confetti. Playful and colourful all around.
(Confetti, Huney, April 2021, Acrylic on Doc Martens 1461 shoes)
Malibu
This 3 pair commission inspired me to experiment with techniques other than my regular style. From the rustic colour way to the illustration placement, these Chucks represent the thrill of infatuation and budding feelings. The colours, text and symbols are inspired by the musical collab between Virginia to Vegas and NOTD in their new single called “Malibu”.
(Malibu, Huney, March 2021, Acrylic on Chuck 70s)
baby body
An experimental and playful take on the Nike Blazer.
(baby body, Huney, January 2021, Acrylic on Nike Blazers)
East End Toronto
In collaboration with Converse and Footlocker, this pair is inspired by my hometown Scarborough, Toronto. The prompt was “what does your neighbourhood mean to you?” and within the artwork, I answered with community, diversity and acceptance.
The asymmetrical colour blocks represent puzzle pieces, and the faces in different shades of brown symbolize the diverse community in Toronto. The teardrops (shared between figures) represents emotional support from one another. Check out my artist profile video on my Instagram @huneystudios :)
(East End Toronto, Huney, October 2020, Acrylic on Converse)
Eastender Blues (PAIR XXXVI + XXXV)
His and hers.
This pair is inspired by my abstract minimal art combined with street style. By using a warm palette, I created two pairs of shoes that compliment each other while small illustration differences set them apart.
The varying J-Hus lyrics note UK streetwear and culture while keeping the signature huneystudios colour blocks and illustrations.
This client was a fan of the Basquiat inspired PAIR XXXI // “Corpus” and I kept elements of it alive on these pairs as well. The highlighted swoosh in brown, the layered paints on the colour blocks and the dashed lines drawn liberally outside of the blocks are influenced from Basquiat and “Corpus”.
There is something special about creating two pairs of shoes with a common theme, also the idea of two people wearing my kicks together puts a smile on my face:)
(Eastender Blues (2), Huney, June 2020, Acrylic on Nike Air Force Ones)
PAIR XXXIII // "META"
This pair is inspired by a constant state of self construction. The dotted lines represent
A road leading to unknown destinations
The lines you follow to cut out the perfect shape (the side-by-side faces)
Stitches for garments under construction, as defining yourself is a constant work in progress
The colours are inspired by Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Jordan 1s… but also Neapolitan ice cream LOL. I’m trying to infuse the same amount of meaning behind my artwork, while trying a minimalist approach. Less is more kinda thing. The shades remind me of Fenty, or a makeup line because of the nude foundation tone and the pink for blush shades.
I made this pair for myself, I can’t wait to rock them. Really interesting to see how the pairs I’ve made for myself since PAIR I have evolved. Currently at Pair 33, so much more to come. This is a milestone.
(PAIR XXXIII // META, Huney, March 2020, Acrylic on Nike Air Force Ones)
PAIR XXXII // [+] WHITE
This pair is all about pastels and simplicity. [+] WHITE is adding a light base to each colour to transform the look while its roots remain visible. The dotted lines symbolize our future paths and our forgotten pasts. Do you draw your own outline or do you simply follow it?
(PAIR XXXII // [+] WHITE, Huney, January 2020, Acrylic on Nike Air Force Ones)
PAIR XXXI // "Corpus"
Inspired by Jean Michel Basquiat, this pair was challenging yet fun to paint. Basquiat’s work often plays with the idea of decay and dissection through using texture and abstract forms. I wanted my work to look inspired by Michel, but not a replica. I took select works (ex. “Cabra”, 1982) and interpreted them into my own style.
Also, for the first time I incorporated the hardware of the shoe within the art. By highlighting certain parts of the “swoosh” beyond the colour blocks, I achieved an end product that looks deconstructed yet well put together (like Basquiat’s work). In addition, instead of simply using black ink for the illustrations atop the colour blocks, I used paints that are iconic to Michel (ex. yellow) to add dimension.
Other elements include Danny brown lyrics (spot em!!). They add to the playful and unrestricted nature of the theme.
The most challenging part with these sneakers was finding the balance between replicating Basquiat’s work and being inspired by it. It’s really important to me to pay homage to his work correctly. Researching his work was an inspiring and eye-opening process, I definitely wanna do more projects where I study an artist/theme in depth. During a showcase event of these kicks, someone said “its almost like theres a new painting in each panel” and I almost cried (!!) that was the goal.
(PAIR XXXI // Corpus, Huney, November 2019, Acrylic on Nike Air Force Ones)
Mayer Mack House
A pair of shoes for John Mayer.
One shoe inspired by his life in the countryside filled with writing music, nature and a subdued lifestyle while the other one is inspired by the glitz and glam of the city. The tying element between the two worlds (and shoes) is making music as it unites people from opposite worlds. Thank you to Shelby from Mack House and Scotiabank Arena for the opportunity.
(PAIR XXXI // Mayer Mack House, Huney, July 2019, Acrylic on Nike Air Maxes)
PAIR XXX // Negative Space
You guys remember those Animorph children’s books…? I took that as inspo for this pair focused on female empowerment and a sense of unity among women. The first face has the most detail in terms of facial features and hair. However as you move along to the faces next to hers, the amount of detail decreases gradually to a point where its just an outline of a face with a bold mouth. In this way, the woman with the most detailed face represents a strong leader, unapologetic and filled with courage. As you move down the line, the vague features allow any woman to envision themselves within the cycle of female strength and influence. Thanks for the idea Animorphs, you might have scared me as a child but you resurfaced on Twitter to help me create a refreshing concept that is bigger than me.
The colour way for this pair is inspired by Frank Ocean’s “Pink Matter” (and the peaches and the mangoes that you could sell for me). The women’s afros transitioned into the leaves that would lead to illustrations of mango and peach trees to symbolize organic growth and beauty. Alongside the shoe there are elements that depict a heavenly aesthetic, to compare women to the divine. Lastly, the phrase “I am a woman phenomenally” appears repeatedly on the shoes as an excerpt from Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman”. Here’s to being inspired by the powerful women around us - and to one day, inspire others.
(PAIR XXX // Negative Space, Huney, July 2019, Acrylic on Nike Jester Air Force Ones)
PAIR XIX // Pink Claw
This pair is for the adventurer, the one who will always remain a child at heart. The baby pink and pastel green hues exude a playful nature that is based on vibrancy that isn’t too loud or obnoxious, it’s the perfect balance between colourful and chic. The tigers are inspired and pay homage to the Japanese tattoo style. I threw in some hibiscus flowers as fillers to contribute to the summer vibe. Details wise, the stripes on the tigers took super long but it paid off because I’m in love with the camoflauge-like end product.
(PAIR XIX // Pink Claw, Huney, July 2019, Acrylic on Nike Air Force Ones)
PAIR XXVIII // Femme Rouge
Bold red blocks for the bold woman. This pair of 1460 Doc Martens is inspired by a woman who embraces her sensuality and is unapologetic for her sex appeal. She is empowered by her beauty and femininity but it does not encompass her. Pictured all around the shoes are women of colour with varying hair textures, features like full lips and different body shapes to give every type of woman representation. The faces are left blank with vague features so any woman viewing the illustrations can see themselves within the art. Typically I use Staedler markers for the line work but this pair demanded I feel the curves of female anatomy through strokes of paint, and so I used paint.
(PAIR XXVIII // Femme Rouge, Huney, July 2019, Acrylic on Doc Martens)
PAIR XXVI + XXVII // Paradox
By taking one white pair of shoes and one black pair, I mixed and matched them so each pair is worn with one white and one black shoe. I call these pairs “paradox” because it represents me processing my feelings with my mental health, and despite having every reason to quit I choose to fight and thrive. If you have been following my work, you know binaries and opposites are close to my heart; One of the reasons being I feel torn a part between my identity before my trauma and who I am after it. I feel like these two identities are completely different women, from their struggles, fears and their realities. On difficult days when it feels like world wants to swallow me whole I try to remember the hope and enthusiasm for adventure younger hani had and use it ground myself - Although I’ve lived through trauma and will continue to cope with it, I am healing and I have the courage to fight through the maze. Here’s to making younger honey proud and giving older honey hope. Sending love and warmth to everyone who needs it.
(PAIR XXVI + XXVII // Paradox, Honey, March 2019, Acrylic on Nike AF1)
PAIR XXV // Wild Irish Roses
Inspired by Smino’s albums “blkswn” and “noir”, this pair of shoes are about the thrill of infatuation and then cherishing that love once it develops. The colourway is inspired directly from “blkswn” with rich magenta, deep purple and some neutrals for balance. On the left toe a couple of hibiscus are featured, drawn from the Mor Mor cover art for the song “Pass The Hours”. Does the magenta and beige remind you of PAIR II “Peanut Butter and Jelly?” Me too. I love these colours!
(PAIR XXV // Wild Irish Roses, Honey, February 2019, Leather paint on Nike AF1)
PAIR XXIV // Elementary
Inspired by @sza ‘s album CTRL and her message of finite time but infinite learning. In collaboration with @tahreemalvi , one of the songs we focused on was “20 something” as it speaks to making the most out of your youth while deciding which mistakes are worth making. I chose the title “Elementary” because to me CTRL was about learning and relearning about yourself, your dreams and the world around you.
(PAIR XXIV // Elementary, Honey, February 2019, Leather paint on Nike AF1s)
PAIR XXIII // Parallels
I think the best truths are told with black and white. Juxtaposition will always speak to me, what makes opposites opposites? How are differences defined? How much middle ground do they share, if any?
(PAIR XXIII // Parallels, Honey, December 2018, Leather paint on Nike Cortez)