Artist BrianJungen

Artist #BrianJungen’s fascination with slicing up Nike Air Jordans began in the ‘90s after a trip to NYC. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He was doubly struck by the sight of the sneakers lined up in ‘museum-like display cases’ at a @Nike store and Indigenous artwork, on view at the @amnh, in a manner he described as ‘fetishized and held up as specimens of nature,’ rather than exhibited as works of art. After his visit, Jungen started buying #AirJordans in bulk, taking them home, and turning them into art. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Jungen draws parallels between mass-produced commercial objects and Indigenous art, often challenging people’s perceptions of both. As an artist of Dane-Zaa and Swiss ancestry living and working in British Columbia, his sculptural pieces pay tribute to his Native American ancestry and highlight themes around identity, cultural appropriation, inequality, and consumerism. — At the Miami Beach show, visit @Catriona.Jeffries (booth E9) to see his 2019 sculpture, ‘Performance bonnet’, pictured above. #artbasel #artbaselmiamibeach #indigenousart #nativeamerican #nike #sculpture #artworkoftheday