AH TO x NIKE AIR MAX
In 2015, to promote NIKE AIR MAX in Hong Kong, Nike invited five Hong Kong artists — Little Thunder, Ah To, Kristopher Ho, Parent’s Parents, and Simon K. — to create artworks inspired by five Air Max models: Air Max 1, 90, 95, 97, and 15. Each artist incorporated one of the five senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch — into their work, crafting unique stories that connected Air Max with Hong Kong. Their creations were publicly exhibited at Kicks Lounge in Tsim Sha Tsui.
2015年，香港Nike為宣傳 NIKE AIR MAX，邀請了香港五個藝術家 一 門小雷丶阿塗丶Kristopher Ho丶Parent's Parents和Simon K.讓他們以Air Max 1、90、95、97、15五個鞋款為主題, 再搭上視覺聽覺味覺嗅覺和触覺等五感元素，拼湊出各人心中Air Max與香港的獨特小故事，並於尖沙咀Kicks Lounge公開展出。
Ah To created an artwork inspired by the classic sneaker, the Air Max 97. “In 1997, I was just a secondary school kid. I still remember that during PE class, I once drew a Nike swoosh on my plain canvas shoes with a pencil. Nike sneakers were too expensive for me to afford, so DIY-ing a pair of "Nike" canvas shoes was my own little way of achieving a spiritual victory.” Ah To said.
At the time, the internet had yet to become widespread. For young sneaker enthusiasts, the only way to stay up to date with the latest trends was to visit Sneaker Street in Mong Kok for some "window shopping." “After school, I would often run to Sneaker Street to study the latest releases and even sketch them in my math notebook,” Ah To recalled. This passion eventually laid the foundation for his future career as an illustrator.
During the 1990s, Hong Kong witnessed a booming sneaker resale market. Meanwhile, the NBA was experiencing its golden era, with Michael Jordan leading the Chicago Bulls to championship victories. This cemented NIKE’s status as a prominent brand in the eyes of young fans. “In 1997, the Bulls won back-to-back championships, and coincidentally, it was also the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac. Sneaker Street was filled with festive decorations featuring bulls—these images are still vividly imprinted in my mind,” Ah To said.
At the end of that Lunar New Year holiday, he used his Red pocket money to buy his very first pair of NIKE sneakers—Air Max.
1997 was not only a turning point in Hong Kong’s history but also an era filled with passion and dreams. Through his artwork, Ah To meticulously captures the sneaker-fueled memories of his youth.
Ah To has included five sensory elements to immerse the viewer of what it was like for him back in 1997.
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阿塗以經典球鞋 Air Max 97 為主題創作。「97年，我還是個中學雞，猶記得，體育堂時我曾在自己的白飯魚上面用鉛子筆劃上了一個NIKE剔，因NIKE波鞋太貴我買不起，D.I.Y 一對NIKE白飯魚算是種精神勝利法吧。」阿塗笑說。
當時，互聯網尚未普及，年輕人要追潮流、關注最新球鞋資訊，全靠親身到旺角波鞋街「Window Shopping」。阿塗回憶：「放學後，我常常跑去波鞋街，研究最新款式，也把它們畫在數學課本上。」這股熱情，奠定了他日後成為插畫家的基礎。
九十年代，香港掀起了波鞋炒賣風潮，亦正值 NBA 的黃金時代，Michael Jordan 帶領芝加哥公牛隊奪冠，讓 NIKE 在年輕人心目中升格為「神級品牌」。「97年，公牛隊連奪兩年冠軍指環，又剛好農曆年是牛年，整條波鞋街都是公牛賀年裝飾，這些畫面至今仍深刻印在我腦海裡。」阿塗說道。而就在這個農曆新年的假期尾聲，他用利是錢買下了人生第一雙 NIKE。
97 年不僅是香港歷史的分水嶺，也是一個熱血沸騰、滿懷夢想的年代。而阿塗，則用他的畫筆，細細描繪著這段屬於自己的波鞋青春。
阿塗於作品中加入特別的感官元素，波鞋街的環境聲丶旺角街頭的美食香氣丶NFC 的 AR 影像….. 把現場觀賞畫作時的你，帶到他回憶中的1997年。
