Liz Ciokajlo x Amy-Jo, 2020.
This shoe was made for the Shoes Have Names exhibition in collaboration with Jo Cope and Shelter UK which uses the power of craft to bring awareness to the individuals who face homelessness and eviction each day.
Amy-Jo’s courage and tenacity inspired the directional 3D printed shoe form; the pointed toe cuts through any resistance, in a way taking flight. Amy-Jo’s name is projected out from the shoe to become the heel. The prominence of her name is a homage to her bravery, having come through the experience of homelessness. Her name is also a symbol of her power to rebuild her life, a reminder that when life circumstances start to come apart (like the components of the shoe), Amy-Jo had the strength to pull things together, with Shelter’s help, to move forward.
Her story shows homelessness can happen to anyone, and can often be the result of things such as personal illness, caring for a loved one, divorce or redundancy. Losing our home quickly fragments our world, separating families, support systems and communities at a time when we are most in need.
Special thanks should be given to Ravensbourne Research Office for their support in the creation of the shoe.
Photo by Dan Lowe.
