Alf Pad
Urban Culture & Art Toy Collector
Genesis
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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
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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
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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
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The piece was delivered for his private collection.
Before shipping it, I made my first silicone mould to create a resin copy for a personal experiment, 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.