Panteha Abareshi is an artist and illustrator born in Montreal but currently based in Los Angeles, pursuing her BFA in illustration. The women Panteha draws represents their struggle and confusion- yet epitomize their strength. There is strength in vulnerability. There is power is admitting that you are broken down. She strongly identifies with the spectrum of aromanticism and asexuality. She has very strong aversions to the modern notions of romance, and her artwork is a direct expression of her beliefs that the way young people, especially girls, are taught to value, prioritize and derive happiness from “love” is damaging and wrong.

For more details check out her Instagram Account

“I was absolutely honored and so excited to be asked to participate in the 

YA x SAMBASOL collaboration. I knew that I wanted to do snakes, and also have asymmetry between the two shoes. I sculpted hyperrealistic teeth from a semi-translucent polymer, and hung three from the bottom of each shoe.  Making the shoes was completely exciting and experimenting with this medium made it all the more exciting to execute the piece to my vision.”

 

Caley Buck is a figurative painter who frequently utilizes patterns, textiles and embroidery in her practice. Primarily fascinated by the past, she has become both a fan and a critic of her surroundings. Her most recent works address celebrities and depict classic film stars as religious icons. She feeds into the 70’s-revival fad with her appropriation of pattern, hinting at their variables of popularity.

For more details check out her Instagram Account

“It was really great participating in this YoungArts x Samba Sol collaboration because it gave me the opportunity to adapt my current practices (use of textiles, embroidery, and painting) to an entirely new shape featuring contours I had never engaged with before.

Making sure that the two individual flip flops were both works on their own as well as still related—and ultimately, a pair—was a fun challenge.

Thank you to YoungArts for giving young artists like myself opportunities such as this, and to Samba Sol for providing me the platform to share my work.”

Nadia Wolff is a Haitian-American maker, designer, and word-sayer from Miami, Florida whose work meditates on themes of joy, family, race, ancestry, and tenderness. She is currently a student at Brown University and attended the Rhode Island School of Design.  Nadia was a 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts as well as a 2016 YoungArts Visual Arts and Design alumni.

For more details check out her Instagram Account

“I was flattered to be selected for this exciting project with Samba Sol, as it was a fun challenge and a unique opportunity to translate my work into the fashion world and to work with a company with sustainable environmental initiatives!”

Isabela Dos Santos works as an animator at the YoungArts Foundation. She always works frame-by-frame by making small drawings and sculptures. Her instinct is to create tinier things out of various materials. She believes that YoungArts is a fantastic - nurturing community  because they simultaneously hold zero expectations over their artists and also make them feel like everything they make is going to be fantastic, no matter what!  It's a unique and trusting 'creative' freedom. Isabela believes that there is nothing better, as an artist, to be asked to do work that you want to do, and get paid for it.

For more details check out her Instagram Account

“On a superficial level, I just think tiny handmade things are adorable, and hoped future Samba Sol buyers of any gender might appreciate the self-referential flip-flop pattern, as well. But I guess I'm fascinated with this concept of handmade repetition because it honors the distinctions between very similar things, and also the harmony of a lot of little distinct things that have to coexist. It's a very basic life lesson but nice reminder -- as the phrases I wrote on the flip-flops say, "We all have our differences, but we walk our flip-flops on the same ground," and, "We have to try our best not to step on each other's toes even if we're on separate journeys."