Pass the ball and pay it forward with this hand-painted leather soccer ball celebrating Fa’atasi–the Sāmoan spirit of team–inspired by the film Next Goal Wins, and created in collaboration with artist Yuki Kihara.
The Prints: A centuries old tradition, reimagined
The original patterns throughout the collection were created by artist Yuki Kihara to reflect siapo (handmade barkcloth), one of the oldest Sāmoan cultural art forms. For centuries, siapo has been passed from generation to generation. Kihara spent years apprenticing under a master artisan, learning the intricate process in order to understand the traditional craft and technique. As contemporary takes on the traditional Siapo symbology, the prints interweave Sāmoan heritage with a vibrant new view of Sāmoa’s future.
The Impact: Leveling the playing field
Ethically crafted in Kenya by nonprofit artisan group Alive & Kicking, each ball was stitched and painted by hand–helping to create meaningful employment for over 1000 craftspeople in sub Saharan Africa, and fund crucial health and wellbeing programs for underserved youth. To further extend the impact of the collection, Accompany has made a donation of $10,000 to the nonprofit, The Society Of Fa'afafine In American Samoa.
The Artist: Yuki Kihara
An interdisciplinary artist and curator, Kihara was the first Pasifika and the first Fa'afafine artist to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022. Kihara’s work can be found in over 30 permanent collections internationally; including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, British Museum, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Australia; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand and many more.
