Dressing like a samurai won't be so hard with a little help from Huey Wong.
To commemorate the DVD/ Blu-Ray release of samurai blockbuster '47 Ronin', Sydney-based graphic artist Huey Wong has produced five pairs of unique Onitsuka Tiger sneakers that were auctioned for charity Accessible Arts NSW, an organisation geared towards offering arts industry opportunities to those with disabilities.
Wong took the time to talk to us about the sneakers, the creative process behind them, and his history as an accomplished artist in his own right.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself as an artist? I studied graphic design at Billy Blue, but was always drawn to illustrations and art as one of the outlets to express myself. After graduating, I had the opportunity to work at an advertising agency where I refined my skills as a creative and now I am freelancing in Sydney.
What drew you to the ‘47 Ronin’ project? The movie has some of the most beautiful cinematography ever designed and on top of that, it’s a story so well known amongst Japanese tradition. I really wanted to be a part of this wonderful project.
In creating these sneakers, what techniques and materials did you employ? My initial process was to collect as much information as possible on custom shoe designs. I made libraries of images that I found online and created design mood boards. I then watched the movie, collected images of the characters and put them into a hierarchy so I could get a better feel of what each design should be. After I had a clearer direction, I started sketching up a few ideas for each pair meanwhile making sure there was a consistency throughout all five. By this stage, I had a very clear picture of what my final vision was. For the bespoke details in each of the designs, I studied the costumes of the characters and their personalities. I also looked at a lot of traditional Japanese paintings and clothing for inspiration. I wanted to make sure each pair had its own personality that was an accurate representation of its corresponding character.
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How much effort and time did you put into each pair of sneakers? It took a lot of effort initially planning out how to execute the designs, but it worked out in the end so it was well worth it. The time it took from initial sketches to finished product took around two and half weeks roughly; I painted a few pairs at the same time so I could speed up the production process.
Is ‘wearable’ art something you’ve done much of in the past? No, it was quite a challenge because I have not done something of this medium and scale before, but I think it was well worth and I would definitely do it again.Aside from the more tangible, physical medium of these sneakers, what other styles and forms of visual art do you enjoy working with? I’ve done a lot of brand experience projects, which involved anything from designing a logo to an entire store concept or editing ads and videos. But for me, I enjoy hand drawn typography the most because I can design and illustrate at the same time.
In terms of difficulty and effort, how did this project stack up compared to your previous works? It was particularly difficult as it was the first time working with sneakers as a medium, but the overall process went quite smoothly so the whole experience was really enjoyable. I think the hardest project I worked on was doing a ten-hour shoot on the beach in Thailand. (It sounds awesome until you find sand anywhere and everywhere).
Your portfolio says you once studied a degree in music. Why the change to visual arts and graphic design? I’ve always loved playing and making music. While I was still studying at Billy Blue, I was in a band and we played on MTV once. I think I share an equal love for both design and music, but now music has taken a backseat as I’m getting more opportunities as a creative. What are some of your proudest moments as an artist? I think the proudest moments for me as an artist is seeing my work finished and knowing I could move on to another one.
If you were to undertake a similar project — combining an item of clothing with a film, both completely of your choosing — what would it be? I would love to work on the new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy. I would love to design clothing from all the different civilisations in the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy.
‘47 Ronin’ is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray.
