Kwestone - Incredible Artist Talks About Kicks, His Helmet Collection, and more!
We’re hitting the streets for our latest artist collaboration with KWESTONE!
Read on to learn what shows they’ve been binging during quarantine, and how combining their love for late 80s skateboard and hip-hop culture plus a bit of geekdom helped them develop the characters featured in the newest Pinfinity pins.
Kwestone and his art!
Sneakers are also a big part of Hip-Hop, therefore all these characters I dream up will always have kicks that are straight fire!
Tell us about your brand and the types of artwork you create.
I don’t really have a brand yet, per se, but since I started working from home, I now have the time and opportunity to start developing original characters with entertaining backstories that all tie in together.
Artwork by Kwestone
Much of your artwork features characters in some pretty fly kicks. Where did the inspiration for this come from? Can we assume you have an epic collection of sneakers?
I wouldn’t say that I have an epic sneaker collection but I have a few grails that'll give me a little bit of legitness in the sneaker community.
The most recent original characters I have created are all based on my experiences throughout my life. From being a Star Wars/Back to the Future loving, Atari/NES video game playing, skater kid in the 80’s to immersing myself into the Hip - Hop Culture in the late 80s/90s and beyond. You can see those influences reflected in the two characters (Throwee the Spraycan and R.A.D-3-O) that I created in collaboration with Pinfinity. They represent Graffiti and B-Boying, two of the four elements of Hip-Hop. I would love to create the other two (MCing and Turntable-ism) if I get the chance. Sneakers are also a big part of Hip-Hop, therefore all these characters I dream up will always have kicks that are straight fire! 🔥
Artwork by Kwestone
Have there been any tv shows or series you’ve been binging since being in quarantine? Anything you can recommend to our fans?
- Food Wars
- Unsolved: the Tupac and Biggie murders
- Last Kids on Earth
- Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men
- Hi Score Girl
- Rewatching Avatar: The Last Air Bender
- Rewatching Hip-Hop Evolution
- Rewatching Young Justice
- Rewatching Clone Wars
- Rewatching Madolorian
- Hanibal
- All Back to the future movies back to back
- All Star Wars movies back to back (painful to watch from Ep 1 -3)
- All the Marvel Movies back to back
- All the DC comic Animated Movies back to back
Let's face it… I watch a lot of 80's Sci-fi, Anime, Hip-Hop and Comic based entertainment.
Just a small taste of Kwestone's collection!
What was it about Pinfinity pins that got you excited to collaborate?
That would be the AR platform and it’s larger potential to do more! I’m hoping in the next generation of the app it will let you interact with the AR characters in a way of storytelling or even creating a story! We’ll just have to wait and see!
Limited Edition THROWEE Pin from Kwestone
What was it about Pinfinity pins that got you excited to collaborate?
I really love that Pinfinity allowed me to do my own original characters on their pins, rather than producing a pop culture pin. I adore pop culture stuff of course, but it’s great to be given the freedom to show my own creations. Also AR animated pins are just so damn cool! I’m so happy with how they came out.
The Kwestone Limited Edition R.A.D.-3OH in action!
Just you wait, Kwestone. ;)
Where can we find you on the internet?
Follow me on IG @kwestone, I tend to update that more than my other social media accounts or check out my shop www.kwestoneshop.com if you’d like to pick up some art prints, art figures or accessories. All designed or created by me… KWESTONE… RUN IT!
Thanks for sharing your answers with us Kwestone! Both of Kwestone's pins, Throwee and R.A.D. 3OH, are limited edition and supplies are going fast! So if you haven’t already, head over to our shop to add these Pinfinity pins to your collection!
We want to hear from you! Have ideas for Pinfinity collaborations? Let us know your favorite fandoms or artists that you want to see pins from in the comments.