Fashion and art are two disciplines that revolve around the same sphere that is creativity. The two worlds share a bridge that links them together. Dasha Lapushka, born in Belarus, has always had a spark for art with a particular interest in drawing. From her modelling career in Italy, she also started exploring her passion for arts after moving to Malta in 2019. Starting with creative pieces by using the luxurious shoes of famous designers instead of brushes, Dasha was set to explore a completely new genre of art which were pretty much unexplored till then. Being an ardent lover of shoes with a huge collection of over 400 pairs from various designers, the idea of using shoes for painting erupted, while looking at her shoes that she no longer wore or used. During the interview with Magzoid, this is how Dasha explains her magnificent journey towards making a mark in the industry.
Q. How did your artistic journey begin?
A. Drawing has always been something I’m passionate about since I was 6. Art teachers at school adored me and have admired my sketches. Though I had hindrances from my family to pursue arts as my majors, I stood firm on my will to follow my passion and arranged for my studies independently at the Gianfranco De Meo Academy of Art in Rome. During that, I won my first exhibition in Rome in 2018 which boosted my confidence and marked as a turning point. Since that point, till today, I do not leave any stone unturned to make the best by creating opportunities and making the best out of them. “Uniqueness” is the mantra for any artist to stand out. It is quite difficult to find that uniqueness in the saturated market of today, but still it’s not impossible. I found that “uniqueness” when I defined my shoes as my brushes.
Q. What was the inspiration behind merging two of your greatest passions – Art and Fashion?
A. During my modelling career in Italy for years, I began collecting shoes as one of my passion. My craziness started when I first entered Christian Louboutin and wore their red-soled shoes for the first time. I then combined art and fashion by painting with shoes from popular brands when I moved to Malta. That was possibly the birth of this concept of painting with shoes which I named as “Squirshoes”.
Q. “Squirshoes” is a very unique form of art that we have come across! How did you come up with the name “Squirshoes” and what’s the story behind it?
A. The story behind naming the first abstract canvases “Squirshoes” is an interesting one. There is a Pokémon character named ‘Squirtle’ who sprays strong jets of water, whereas, I immerse shoes in buckets full of color and spray them from the shoes and hence the combination came out to be “Squirshoes”. To mark the difference and showcase the uniqueness, I place the shoes that I have used for the artwork, next to the canvas or glue onto the canvas itself, such as the one I made for footballer Miralem Pjanic with his soccer shoes. I never repeat any shoes for any other artwork as each of them have a complete different story that they showcase.
Q. With the kind of work that you are doing, you are creating a different league in the art industry. How do you plan on making your “Squirshoes” concept reach far and wide?
A. Art, like all things, needs evolution and it does modify itself with time. My artform is a new idea that I want to gift it to the art fraternity. I hope that my journey with art will contribute to artistic innovation. I’d like to continue my vision of painting with shoes, and hope to collaborate with brands in the future. There’s a lot that is possible with this concept of mine and I’m on it to make it reach far and wide.
Q. Each of your pieces of artwork has a very unique and different story behind it. What message does your work aim to portray?
A. You are absolutely right! Each artwork carries a different story, an emotion and is highly personalized. I feel that we can learn about a person’s personality traits from the shoes he or she wears. With shoes on the canvas, I tell stories. A bride wears her shoes to the wedding and then puts them in the closet may never look at it again. But with my artwork, the same shoes will be on a canvas in their home, making it a one-of-a-kind memory. One artwork of mine was for a boy who miraculously survived a car crash. His blood-stained shoes from the accident hangs on the wall in his bedroom. Whenever he looks at that artwork, he feels blessed to have been gifted a second life. Such pieces of works are just priceless and I’m grateful that I can create such moments for people.
Q. Out of all your extraordinary artworks, which are the ones that you are immensely proud of?
A. I am connected to all of my artworks because they are like my children. It is always tough for me to let go of them when someone buys them from me. Undoubtedly, the first three canvases I made in Rome on the theme “fetish” shortly after graduating from the Academy are the ones to which I am most attached to. They are realistic oil paintings that have little to do with my method of painting with shoes. They are the ones that embarked the stepping stones to my journey as an artist.
Q. What is that one quote that you abide by in your life?
A. Once Marylin Monroe said, “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world!” and I say: “Give me your shoes and I’ll paint the world for you.” Well, jokes apart, the artistic quotation that reflects me a lot is that of Pablo Picasso; “There are painters who paint the sun like a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun”.
Q. What are the best resources that have helped you in your way?
A. Surely my instincts, being there at the right time and with the right people who believe in me.
Q. What message and advice do you have for our readers?
A. My message would be to always believe in one’s ideas and not to be influenced by people’s judgments. To fight for one’s dreams and to never give up.
Q. How do you feel being featured in the Magazine?
A. I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity that you have given me. The cover is significant, but the material is what matters most, and I hope you enjoyed it. This feature means a lot to me. To know more about my work, please head on to my website and my Instagram.