When Manuela Solano delineates a cheekbone or shapes the chiseled torso of a cowboy standing tall, precisely placed nails, tape, and pipe cleaners offer guidance. The artist, who is blind, works intuitively, feeling out the areas she and her team have marked and trusting that together, the desired imagery will emerge. "I try to force myself to keep [the shapes] faster and looser, which feels great," she adds. "It makes the process more playful."
Buffalo. The name alone conjures a near-mythical creature whose presence commands respect. Moving as a group with a distinctive blend of power and grace, the buffalo was nearly driven to extinction by the US government in order to subjugate Native Americans. It would ultimately prevail and become a symbol of freedom, inspiring visionaries like Bob Marley, Malcolm McLaren - and Ray Petri, the man widely considered to be the first modern fashion stylist.
