Converse Cleans the Air in Cities Across the Globe Including Johannesburg Through Sustainable Street Art

Street art has previously been an act of rebellion but has since become a celebration of creatives and an artistic medium for social progress. Converse has launched a campaign in cities across the globe, including South Africa, painting sustainable murals and bringing new meaning to street art.

Members of our global Converse All Stars community of creatives have partnered with Converse to paint murals in cities across the world using KNOxOUT paint, which uses sunlight to reduce noxious air pollutants, purifying the surrounding air. The street art campaign, which first launched globally in August 2019, has been dubbed “Converse City Forests” and is a celebration of creating together for social progress.

Here in South Africa and in the spirit of Heritage month, the mural is located on Commissioner Street, Maboneng. Seth Pimentel, the artist responsible for producing the mural, further reflects on what inspired his design: 

“I wanted to comment on our collective beauty and energy through our heritage highlight our distinct nature of community, Love, Strength, Connection. Celebrating our individual cultures, languages, ethnicities, but our collective love for ourselves and our land.Tangibility. Touch. Connection.The mental, physical and spiritual connection.” 

Through the vision of local creatives, Converse believes that self-expression and art have the power to reflect the current times, provoke dialogue, and build bridges between us. The murals are a public call for progress in highly visible areas of each city and are bringing new meaning to street art to create a more sustainable and just future. 

As cities reopen and recover, the hope is that these murals can be a bright spot: provoking dialogue on the role art plays in our daily lives and on the streets, and reflecting a more sustainable and equitable future through the messages from local young creatives. 

Converse is actively looking to keep the momentum going, working with local artists across the globe to support its mission to create fresh air in cities. To learn more about Converse City Forests, visit www.conversecityforests.com

High-res Imagery is available HERE.  

About Converse

Converse Inc., based in Boston, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as “America’s Original Sports Company”TM and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe, the Jack Purcell® shoe and the One Star® shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including lifestyle men's, women's and children’s footwear, apparel and accessories and is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries. For more information, please visit media.converse.com and follow @converse.za.