Alf Pad
Urban Culture & Art Toy Collector
Genesis
This commission came from Alfonso Padilla, a dentist based in Frankfurt with a strong social media presence and a deep interest in urban culture, streetwear, sneakers and Art Toys. He wanted a stylized Art Toy of himself translated into my visual language.
Concept
He has a very distinctive physicality and a strong urban aesthetic, which made the project especially enjoyable.
The idea was not to create a direct miniature of him, but to bring his presence, proportions and attitude into the Art Toy format.
Process
I worked with one of my favourite structural approaches: a smaller base of support and a stronger upper body, as the figure is holding its own balance by compensating its weight.
It’s a silhouette I often use because it gives that feeling of internal nerve, like it must be alive to stand like that.
His style gave me a lot to work with, especially the sneakers, a pair of Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White Chicago by Virgil Abloh.
Sculpting them at that scale was challenging but very fun, and they added a lot of personality to the piece.
Overall, it was one of those commissions that let me lean fully into the kind of Art Toy I naturally enjoy making: expressive, stylised and rooted in street culture.
Outcome
The piece was delivered for his private collection.
Before shipping it, I made a silicone mould to create a resin copy for personal experiments, which later became the base for another project.
This commission remains one of my favourites because of how naturally his personality and my style blended into a single figure.
