Kau Kawanku
うらやまし 思ひ切る時 猫の恋
It’s enviable.
The gracefulness of
The cat’s love.
—Etsujin
Urayamashi omoi-kiru toki neko no koi
He
was grey
and hungry
and so afraid.
Oh, little cat let me into your heart!
Oh, little cat let me into your heart!
I left him food
on the porch
water
too.
Then
one day
I touched him
we both stayed still.
Oh, little cat let me into your heart!
Days…weeks…pass
Restless people
Eager to go back outside
Not me though
I have you!
What greater love than the love of a cat?*
AndreaKhadija's love for vibrant pop of colours is evident in the design of Kau Kawanku. The brightly coloured cats in the design are presumed to be the titular Kawan, giving a very fun, quirky and warm vibe to the shoes. Kau Kawanku theme is very personal and close to her as with many more people like her, having pets help to endure this challenging time in history by providing substantial emotional support and love.
The naivety of the patterns in this design indicates the artist’s progress in her youthful life journey, since the first beginning of the pandemic when she started the Ann Zahid Batik Sneakers project to the end, a year later.
*Charles Dickens
