Converse City Forests: Sustainable Street Art

Converse has launched a street art campaign that sees local creatives paint sustainable murals in countries across the globe, including South Africa.

Members of the global Converse All Stars community of creatives have partnered with the brand to paint murals in cities across the world using KNOxOUT paint, which uses sunlight to reduce noxious air pollutants, purifying the surrounding air. The street art campaign, which first launched globally in August 2019, has been dubbed “Converse City Forests” and is a celebration of creating together for social progress.

In South Africa, the mural is located on Commissioner Street, Maboneng. Seth Pimentel, the artist behind the mural, reflects on what inspired his design: “I wanted to comment on our collective beauty and energy through our heritage, highlighting our distinct nature of community, love, strength and connection – celebrating our individual cultures, languages and ethnicities, our collective love for ourselves and our land. Tangibility. Touch. Connection. The mental, physical and spiritual connection.”

Through the vision of local creatives, Converse believes that self-expression and art have the power to reflect the current times, provoke dialogue and build bridges. The murals are a public call for progress in highly visible areas of each city.

As cities reopen and recover, the hope is that these murals can provide a bright spot: provoking dialogue on the role art plays in our daily lives and on the street, and reflecting a more sustainable and equitable future through the messages from young, local creatives.

Converse is actively looking to keep the momentum going, working with local artists across the globe to support its mission to create fresh air in cities.

Find out more about Converse City Forests at conversecityforests.com.