Tulsa Athletic Club Rugs

This collection grew from a simple tip-of-the-hat idea by Justin, owner of The Tulsan Bar and Tulsan Athletic Club, after he spotted similar work in shops out of state. The challenge of translating my visual language onto a new, textured surface was exactly the kind of project that excites me. Rugs demand a different approach to color, scale, and mark-making, and I was eager to push those boundaries. We started with a Forrest Gump piece to test the process and materials; once the first rug landed the way I envisioned, Justin greenlit three more — sneakers, the Tulsa skyline, and Grogu — each chosen to bring a distinct mood and story to the floor. These pieces were done with a combination of spray paint and air brushing.

The sneaker rug reflects Justin’s personal passion as a collector, so I rendered a few iconic silhouettes he selected, treating the laces and sole details with precise contrast so they read well from a distance. The Forrest Gump piece was like a main piece for the establishment as it was a pickle ball bar. For the Tulsa skyline I incorporated the Tulsa Flag symbol and oil-like drips as a nod to the city’s history as an oil capital, balancing civic pride with a raw painterly edge. Grogu was a fun, pop-culture-driven piece—soft, expressive, and immediately recognizable, bringing a playful counterpoint to the collection. Working across these varied themes on rug as medium let me experiment with texture and durability while keeping the work grounded in strong composition and narrative — the kind of hands-on experimentation that keeps my practice evolving.