STUDIO VISITS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ADIDAS PURPOSE
Spanning cities across the Caribbean, Africa and North America, Studio Visits spotlights creative spaces where culture, identity and community intersect. Here, we get an inside look at the multidisciplinary practices of some of the world’s most compelling creative voices, working across storytelling, design, music, wellness and visual art. Each visit explores how artists and cultural leaders build archives, reclaim narratives and foster connection through intentional, community-centered work. Anchored by adidas Purpose, the initiative reflects a shared commitment to equity, representation and long-term impact, demonstrating that when brands invest meaningfully in communities, creativity becomes a catalyst for dialogue, preservation and collective progress.
🌟 VIEW & DOWNLOAD THE COMMUNITY ARCHIVES ZINE HERE 🌟
ROG & BEE
📍Jamaica, West Indies
“We travel globally to document people and their stories, as well as operating a portrait studio—which has existed in our home, in the homes of others, and out in the world. For over a decade, we have committed ourselves to documenting people: our archive consists of first-person accounts of stories and ideas. And at the center of our work is Black, contemporary, creative culture.”
ANDRES NORWOOD
📍New York City, USA
“I am an Afro-Latino photographer and artist originally from Los Angeles, now residing in New York City. My work centers on celebrating diverse cultures, perspectives and self-expression, with a purposeful aim to convey meaningful messages about the people who inhabit our world. My imagery illuminates Afro-Latino, Latiné, Black and Chicano communities through radiant, professional photographs, blending documentary insight with artistic nuance to capture intimate moments, bold narratives, and everyday brilliance that challenge stereotypes while affirming identity and pride.”
ISAAC YOWMAN
📍 Houston, Texas
“A Grammy-nominated producer turned award-winning filmmaker, I am the founder and creative director of IYO Visuals, where I lead a team committed to telling powerful stories and amplifying underrepresented communities. With over a decade’s worth of experience in film, television and advertising, my work spans culture, entertainment and social impact. Recent work includes: Sincerely Brad, which sold-out screenings in Los Angeles, New York City and Houston; the NAACP Image Award-nominated documentary, Memory Builds The Monument: All Screwed Up, which was acquired for feature development by Sony Pictures; and Rides & Hides, which was recognized at the Tribeca Film Festival.”
GABI LAMB
📍Los Angeles via New York City, USA
“My creative foundation began as a kid playing the violin. Music taught me rhythm, patience and emotion—sensibilities that bleed into everything I create, whether through directing, videography or photography. Much of my childhood was spent in my abuelita’s beauty salon in Los Angeles; an immigrant from Mexico, she built her business from nothing and came to work each day with elegance and grit. Those memories taught me that strength and grace can coexist, and that beauty often lives in the simple details.”
THANDIWE MURIU
📍Nairobi, Kenya
“I am a Kenyan artist who examines themes of identity, culture and female empowerment through my works. My pieces are deeply inspired by African textile narratives, primarily the Ankara (wax) and the East African kanga fabric, which I use as a canvas to redefine, celebrate and remember. Since the commencement of my artistic career in 2020, my work has been acquired by private and public collections, such as the Leridon Collection, The Jean Pigozzi African Art Collection, Peter & Carla Schulting Collection, Photo Élysée Museum in Lausanne and the Hood Museum of Art in New Hampshire, USA. Some notable commissions include projects for Longchamp, the United Nations, Apple, and the Swiss Red Cross.”
RUSSELL HAMILTON
📍Atlanta, USA
“As a Jamaican-American multidisciplinary artist from Atlanta, GA, my practice examines the nuance of Black American and Caribbean culture. This dual perspective lends itself to a range of mediums. Photography and filmmaking are the vehicles for my framework with a focus on analog production. As Creative Director for Black Archives—a multimedia repository that brings a spotlight to the Black experience—it has been a pleasure to collaborate and partner with brands to bring our stories, untold and reimagined, to the forefront. It is my commitment to amplify the ways in which we render our identities in conjunction with our legacy.”
THANIA PETERSEN
📍Cape Town, South Africa
“I’d describe myself as a multidisciplinary artist whose work navigates the spiritual, cultural, and historical networks of the Afrasiatic Sea. I root in my creole Afro-Asian heritage and Sufi traditions, and use the ocean as a living archive of memory, migration, and belonging. Through collaboration with artisans, musicians, and Sufi choirs across Africa and Asia, I harness storytelling, craft, and performance as decolonial tools of repair and reconnection. My sound-based and performative works trace transoceanic Sufi lineages, confronting colonial and apartheid legacies while proposing an alternative archive grounded in resilience, love, and spiritual continuity.”
PLC DETROIT: ANGEL BUCKENS & RODNEY BANKS
📍Detroit via Chicago, USA
“We specialize in interior, industrial and brand design. With a holistic approach to problem-solving, we integrate form, function and storytelling to create immersive, cohesive experiences. Our work ranges from designing functional products to developing distinctive brand identities and crafting dynamic interior environments that connect with people on emotional and sensory levels. Our design philosophy centers on creating purpose-driven solutions that not only look beautiful but also enhance the way people interact with their surroundings. We thrive on collaborative projects that challenge conventions and require a careful balance between creative expression and practical execution, ensuring every detail contributes to a meaningful and lasting impression.”
ALLI SIMON
📍Inglewood, California, USA
“I am the co-founder and executive director of Black Being, a wellbeing studio and community space in downtown Inglewood, CA, centered on rest, healing, and collective care for Black and brown communities. My work lives at the intersection of mindfulness, movement and social justice—rooted in the belief that wellbeing is both a personal and communal act of liberation. Through Black Being, I guide meditation, curate wellness experiences and collaborate with brands and organizations to create programs that honor the fullness of our humanity. I’m deeply inspired by everyday acts of care—how people make beauty out of struggle, and how presence itself becomes a form of resistance. Whether leading a class, designing our annual community week, or creating a moment for reflection, my focus is always on helping others reconnect to themselves and each other.”
ALEXANDER BLAINE
📍Los Angeles, USA
“I am the founder of Bueno, a platform created to amplify, celebrate and blend Latino/Hispanic cultures through art, music, sport and storytelling. A proud Puerto Rican, I was born in New York City, raised in Kissimmee, and have been living in Los Angeles for the last ten years. Through my work—where design, identity and community meet—my goal is to share our cultures without erasing what makes each one unique. I use clothing and experiences as a medium to connect people and remind them that their roots matter, their passions matter, and who they are matters. We’re more alike than we are different, and that’s where the magic happens!”
JOHANNA TORUNO
📍Los Angeles, USA
“The Unapologetic Street Series is my declaration of presence as a queer, Salvadoran artist. I started pasting on the streets because I wanted to create messages of liberation and resistance in the places we live, work, and walk in. I wanted to create an antithesis to the ad industry that plagues our cities where every wall is no longer street art but ad space. In conjunction with the art on the streets, The Unapologetic Street Series has evolved into a multimedia body of work including design, community events and productions, and allowed me to grow from artist to public speaker and an academic lecturer. Through this work, I’ve seen how public art can spark conversation, build community, and reclaim space for those society often overlooks.”
MS. DEE
📍Decatur, GA, USA
“Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, NYC, my art journey started very early on—in elementary school—and I went on to attend the High School of Art and Design. I also attended Sullivan Community College for Graphic Design, after two years working in daycare. After that, I worked in graphic production for Filmstat Inc. and Saatchi & Saatchi’s worldwide advertising. I moved to Atlanta in 1990 and, in 1991, my airbrush journey began, creating outfits for the likes of Gucci Mane, 112, Lloyd, Jagged Edge, Lil Flip, BMF, Lil Scrappy, and many local artists. I designed tour shirts for 21 Savage’s most recent tours, too. I airbrush, sew, paint, and also dabble in painting custom furniture, but one of the most rewarding projects I have taken part in is the Run With Maud 5K. Shout-out Ms. Wanda! I’m continuing to design and create new things, and I look forward to hopefully doing more collaborations with adidas soon.”
JEFF ROSE KING
📍New York City, USA
“My name is Jeff Rose King, a Puerto Rican artist born in Queens, NYC, and raised in Miami. My work is a vibrant blend of the cultures and environments that shaped me. Each piece reflects the rhythm of city life, the vibrancy of graffiti, the boldness of fashion, and the deep-rooted heritage of my Puerto Rican identity. My art is characterized by bold colors and a distinct style that bridges the dynamic energy of New York with the vibrant warmth of Miami. Influenced by the streets I grew up on, my work celebrates the resilience, creativity and unity found in diverse communities. At its core, my art is a message of love and peace. Through every stroke and every design, I aim to inspire connection and positivity, encouraging viewers to see beauty in both the struggle and the triumph. My hope is that my work not only reflects my journey but also resonates with those who seek to find light and meaning in their own.”
QUE ROCK
📍Toronto, Canada
“Hey, it’s Que Rock! Also known as Quentin Commanda. I am a multidisciplinary artist and professional muralist from Nipissing First Nation. My traditional name is Manitou Neeman, which means ‘Spirit Dancing’, and my work reflects a deep connection to my Anishinaabe heritage. My visual art, which includes large street-art projects and works on canvas, draws from both Anishinaabe culture and daily urban interactions, and my aim is to convey Indigenous knowledge, the meaning of sacred symbolism, and the primacy of nature through my art. In addition to my artistic endeavours, I am actively involved in teaching and community empowerment, providing more than 20 workshops to schools and organizations.”
ALBERT PIEDRAHITA
📍Miami, USA
“I am a first-generation-born Latino of hardworking Colombian parents, who migrated to the U.S. during the narco era of the 1980s. I have always felt a strong connection to my Colombian roots and have celebrated my Latinidad for as long as I can remember. After landing a dream gig at Universal Music Latin, I found purpose in pushing Latinidad forward by propelling our homegrown talent and exporting that culture to the world. My company, TUMBAO, was created as a result of wanting to add my own grain of salt to the culture and representing Miami by taking sounds of the African Diaspora from around the world and blending them with Latin sounds. TUMBAO is an Afro-Latino word that means ‘one’s essence’, and I truly believe that when people are at our events, they embody their whole selves through their dance, fashion choices and self-expression. TAMO TUMBAO!”
ORTEEZ
📍San Juan, Puerto Rico
“I’m a Puerto Rican producer and DJ. I began my musical journey at 17, blending the pulse of electronic music with the rhythms of my Afro-Caribbean roots. Deeply influenced by salsa, bolero, and reggaetón, my sound fuses elements of jazz, hip-hop, and electronic genres like house and drum & bass through masterful sampling. Since 2011, I’ve released music with local labels and performed in renowned clubs and festivals. With productions crafted for artists like Rauw Alejandro, Tainy, Álvaro Díaz, and Rawayana I strive to be a forward-thinking voice in the global Latin and electronic scenes. Orteez on the beats!”
VASHNI KORIN
📍New Orleans, LA, USA
“I am a filmmaker and storyteller who brings my community together through folklore, spirituality, and celebration, centering the experiences of women. Of Caribbean heritage, I explore how Black women build systems of safety, self-determination, and kinship within their communities. My films are dreamy, mantra-like, audio-visual maps that invite viewers to listen to their inner voice and rise above circumstance. Through beauty, ritual, and memory, they reveal the convergence of the spiritual and the real—illuminating magical lives and the intimate, transformative spaces where love, connection, and self-actualization allow women to claim and embody their power.”
TRACI KWAAI
📍Cape Town, South Africa
“I am a sixth-generation Kalk Bay Fisher Child, a story keeper, decolonial ocean historian, social and ecological activist. My work is rooted in intergenerational memory, reclaiming and reimagining post-apartheid spaces. It explores the politics of land and sea in an era of gentrification, revealing the enduring legacy of apartheid’s spatial design. Through oral histories, lived experiences, and creative expression, Fisher Child celebrates the community’s deep connection to the ocean and ancestral land despite ongoing spatial and social violence. We created a living archive accessible to all—by scanning an image on a jar of preserve, an augmented reality is activated, transforming each jar into a living museum that connects homes and communities.”
EXPLORE THE FULL DIGITAL COMMUNITY ARCHIVES ZINE ACROSS TRENCH.
This article has been produced in collaboration with adidas Purpose, Pitch Blend and TRENCH.
