A jersey with a message: a cyclist weaves his story in lycra
You can look at this jersey and put it on the account of another artist collaboration. Or you can dive deep into the story behind it.
October 11 marks Indigenous Peoples Day. And a cycling brand recognizes this in a very special way. Velocio Ambassador Gregg Deal is a Pyramid Lake Paiute member, activist, artist, disruptor and cyclist. But that’s not all that defines it.
In this collaboration film with Velocio, Deal traces a migration of his tribe from Lake Tahoe, California to the lands of Pyramid Lake Paiute east of Reno, Nevada. “These are my native lands. These are the places of my people – my ancestors were in these places. It’s extremely important to me, â€said Deal.
And acting in the film is not just Deal, but his work of art which he specially designed for a cycling jersey.
So why choose one cycling jersey as a medium? “There are a lot of ways to connect with the spaces I’m in, and cycling is one of them,†Deal said. “This whole concept was born with the idea of ​​amplifying marginalized voices.
Here are some elements of the jersey:
- A woman with a red handprint on her face, symbolizing MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women)
- Deal’s “Zig Indigenous”: Shoshone Pete wearing the flash of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust”
- Baskets and textile patterns of the Deal tribe
The jersey is definitely a work of art – it’s a collection of faces, images, visual patterns. It’s minimalist and busy at the same time. It’s both bold and subtle.
“The jersey is the highlight of the representation of indigenous peoples,†said Deal. “It’s totally different from other things I’ve seen, certainly in the cycling industry.”
The purpose of the deal with the art of the jersey? To move forward with Indigenous representation, but also to question our perceptions.
Today, Velocio will release the jersey for pre-order. It is available in sizes 2XS-3XL. Proceeds from the jersey will go to The Institute of Sovereign Bodies (for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people) and Illuminative (which works to promote indigenous representation in the media).
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