Gary Lockwood has always been obsessed with art, hip-hop, and sneakers, and in 2010, he found a way to combine all three passions: mask-making. The artist started tearing apart shoes—from the common to the ultra-collectible—and piecing them back together into ornate, colorful gasmasks. Now, he's turned his artwork into a business, selling masks to high-profile clients from Method Man to Kevin Durant, and collaborating with companies like Nike, Adidas, and Versace.
VICE met up with Lockwood (a.k.a. Freehand Profit) to hear what drew him to mask-making, tour his studio, and follow along as he put together a new piece from a handful of coveted sneakers.
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This Artist Destroys and Transforms $35,000 Shoes ─ VICE
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