Whether we admit it or not, aren’t we all dying to know what our exes really think of us?
NYC-based artist Sebastian Errazuriz has made his feelings brutally clear to 12 of his former lovers, girlfriends and one-night stands in a new art collection of sculptured heels titled “12 Shoes for 12 Lovers,” which debuted on December 6 in Miami Beach as part of the frenzy surrounding Art Basel.
“At a certain point, everyone goes through their list of exes and remembers each one, and there were all of these funny stories with each of them,” the artist-designer says. “I felt very lucky that I’ve dated such interesting people, and it occurred to me that they could make great art projects.”
After originally attempting to paint portraits of each one, Errazuriz hit a roadblock seeking their permission. He shelved the idea for several months before the thought of shoes crossed his mind.
“Women love shoes, and in a tiny way, a part of their identity gets trapped there. I thought it would be ironic if I myself tried to capture a part of the personality of each one in a shoe.”
While the Chilean-born designer typically hand-carves his sculptures, Errazuriz used a 3D printer to bring his digital creations to life. Though each shoe is fully functional, there are currently no plans to mass-produce the creations.
The sculptures are accompanied by the stories that inspired them, which range from heart-wrenching to hilarious. And Errazuriz swears that all of them are true. “It’s nice to have a project that’s completely personal, to really expose myself. It’s a product that no one else could have.”
So what do these women think of the collection? “ ‘Honey’ was flattered, as she never thought she had mattered much to me. Now she’s married with a kid. ‘Heartbreaker’ told me if I ever told anyone her real name, she would kill me.”
Errazuriz will show his work at Melissa Pop-Up Miami in Miami Beach through Jan. 6, with a future NYC date to follow (dates yet to be determined.)
Honey
Cry Baby
Gold Digger
Heart Breaker
Ice Queen
Hot B-tch
The Virgin
Jet Setter
The Boss
GI Jane
The Ghost
The Rock
To read the stories that inspired each design, visit Sebastian Errazuriz’s “12 Shoes for 12 Lovers” blog.