Vans, the global icon of creative expression, unveils over 16 new artist stories as part of “These Projects Are Ads for Creativity”, an artist-first brand campaign that showcases creativity in its purest form. Through enabling Vans’ family of international artists and creatives to go out and make things—spoken word poetry, music videos, song making, zine creation, VR and murals—Vans continues to celebrate the diversity of creativity itself and honors the talented individuals behind the work.
With new stories revealed this May, Vans puts the artist at the forefront of storytelling. Whether you’re watching Lei-Mai LeMaow, from Liverpool, unapologetically paint an entire mural with her love for graffiti, lettering, painting and illustration, Muzi’s South African music video with blends of cutting-edge urban, electronic and the bubblegum pop of the 80s and 90s, Miami’s Kelly Breez and the intricate detail of her large-scale, hand-tufted piece using acrylic and wool yarn, or JPEGMAFIA’s crowd-created performance made from the crowd’s images and footage to bring over 500 different perspectives into one single music video – these artists convey a modern creative interpretation that represents a beloved global artist community.
“I wanted to create something that everyone could enjoy after the isolating, strange times we are living in today, so I created a wall mural with an extra element of film layered onto the artwork with a projector to give passersby a feeling of inclusion and a moment of happiness. The mural sits in a large open space in Manchester City Centre’s Northern Quarter, so it is a safe space for people to stop and take in my cheerful creation,” Lei-Mai LeMaow said. “The best thing about creativity, and something Vans is helping spread, is that anyone can share their crazy ideas thanks to projects like this and the power of social media. It’s much easier for people who wouldn’t normally have the chance to show their visions to the world.”
New artist works on view at Vans.eu/offthewall:
