Detail of movie poster for "Unreserved: The Work of Louie Gong."

Walking In Multiple Worlds With Louie Gong

Jamala Henderson
01/16/2010

Seattle artist and educator Louie Gong custom paints Vans tennis shoes with designs inspired by Coast Salish art. They're so popular he has trouble keeping up with demand. He's even been invited to showcase his custom shoes, at a fashion show next month at the 2010 Winter Olympics. And yet, growing up Louie struggled to find a way to express his own identity through art.

Louie Gong grew up on the Nooksack reservation in Washington state. But, his family heritage is more than just Native American. He's also got Chinese and French–Scots ancestors. And having that mixed cultural identity took him on a journey of discovering himself through art.

Louie Gong spoke with KUOW's Jamala Henderson about how eventually, it all boiled down to a pair of shoes.