Like the AJ4 Rare Air, Oupa’s work lives in contradiction. He investigates how surface — skin, fabric, wall, sneaker — can carry meaning far beyond what’s seen. He engages material and memory to disrupt the neatness of "finished" art. In the same way the AJ1’s historical "errors" led to something iconic, Oupa invites the messy, the imperfect, the chaotic — and turns it into poetry.

With residencies across Germany, Iceland, Namibia, and here at Lemkus Gallery, he’s developed a language that connects ancestral knowledge with experimental form. His play isn’t frivolous — it’s strategic, symbolic, and deeply felt.

From accolades like the David Koloane Art Award to being named one of the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans, Oupa’s global recognition hasn’t pulled him away from his core mission: to reclaim space, reimagine surfaces, and remind us that imperfection is a kind of resistance.

It arrives in premium suede and leather textures, with “Rare Air” branding stamped onto the insoles and removable tongue patches to let you style it your way. It’s raw. It’s elevated. It’s unfinished — by design.

Releasing online only Saturday, 26th July 2025 at 9:00AM. Ts and Cs apply - 1 Pair Per Customer only. Orders with duplicate details including contact details, shipping address and banking details will be cancelled. All release dates and mechanisms are subject to change as per Lemkus or the relevant brands discretion should it be needed.