KOLA DPW is the pseudonym of Los Angeles artist Erick Thomas created in response to what he saw during his time as a product designer for the footwear industry. While working overseas, Thomas witnessed firsthand the staggering volume of product, waste, and pollution caused by large scale factory manufacturing. As a result his art became a commentary on global consumerism, It’s effect on our global lives and the product culture it promotes.
This new work explores the duality of contributing to the problem of mass consumerism while attempting to be part of the solution. Using repurposed materials like scrap wood, surplus paint, and discarded plastic from industrial areas around Los Angeles transforms them into new objects with revived meaning.
