A graphic designer from Nantou County said that he is regularly commissioned to inscribe images of former Chicago Bulls basketball player and sporting legend Michael Jordan onto his clients’ Air Jordan sneakers.
The Air Jordan sneakers, also known as “Jordans,” were first produced by Nike for Jordan in 1984 and were then released onto the mass market in 1985.
Graphic designer Chen Li-ju (陳立儒) — who recently completed a series of murals at the public library in Nantou County’s Puli Township (埔里) — said that he grew up watching the basketball star play for the Bulls.
Photo: Tung Chen-kuo, Taipei Times
Chen said that as a school boy, he followed Jordan’s two legendary three-peat championship victories leading the Bulls, adding that he was desperate to own a pair of Jordans, despite them being out of his price range.
Although he still does not own a pair, Chen said that he regularly works on Jordans for his customers, inscribing images of the player — usually in the classic slam-dunk pose — on collectors’ sneakers.
Michael Jordan has an enduring appeal for NBA fans, and his fame did not fade with his retirement, Chen said, adding that the enduring popularity of Jordan paraphernalia has allowed an avid fan and artist such as himself to make a living from Jordan-centric art.
Just how popular are customized Jordans?
Chen said that although each series of Jordans released by Nike is limited, many owners still pay artists to add personalized art to their sneakers.
Chen said that the minimum price for his work is NT$8,500 per commission.
For a deluxe edition of customized artwork, customers pay between NT$10,000 and NT$20,000 for a handmade shoebox, T-shirt and other paraphernalia, Chen said.
The artist originally only worked for customers in Taiwan, but his fame spread as customers shared news and images of his work on social media Web sites, and he now takes commissions from international clients, many of whom are based in Hong Kong or the US.
Last year, Chen began work on a series of murals for Puli’s public library, decorating its fifth-floor section, which houses teenage and young-adult literature.
Rendered in a modern “pop” style, the murals depict activities young people enjoy, such as basketball, skateboarding and playing music.
A basketball mural on a library pillar, which Chen recently finished, features Jordan performing a slam dunk.
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