Deborah Kiwi’s work is an evolving relationship between the body, footwear, and form, approached through an intuitive and experimental process. As a footwear designer and maker, she uses influences from architecture and garment construction to inform my approach, treating footwear as a spatial and sculptural extension of the body, combining shoemaking with her industrial design background.
“As a uniquely intimate object that shapes how we move and feel within our environment, footwear is a compelling medium for exploring the displacement of form, shifting familiar elements into unexpected context and proportions. By reconfiguring traditional silhouettes, with each design, I aim to develop a new vocabulary that engages with visual paradox and structural weight. In this way, each pair becomes an exploration that feels both familiar and curious, blurring boundaries between function and form. In essence, I enjoy unraveling the idea of conventional footwear, while offering insight into the beautiful but waning craft of traditional shoemaking.”
