Meet an Artist: Vasa of u.G.l.y. Design

Meet Vasa of u.G.l.y design.  Vasa is a multi-talented artist excelling in free hand drawing to playing his ukulele and singing.  His work is  flawless and symmetrical leading to unique and exceptional designs.  In the following post, I hope you get to know Vasa and more about his amazing talent. :)

1. 5 words to describe u.G.l.y

Underground, Unique, Fresh, Inspired, Freedom

2. Where do you turn to for inspiration?

My inspiration for the art comes from the people I make them for. When I make them for people, I ask them a lot about who they are and what they do. The way the patterns and designs flow and connect have a lot to do with them and who they are. I guess in a way, I only interpret what you tell me about who you are.


3. What does u.G.l.y stand for?

u.G.l.y. stands for "u.nder G.od's l.oving y.oke". it is a testament to my faith, a praise for my God and an encouragement to people that though the people may judge you from your outside, the Lord sees the heart.

4. What sparked your interest in designing shoes? 

Since I was young buck, I loved drawing. I started drawing on walls with a sharpie and my aunts and mom encouraged me to use paper. Throughout elementary, high school and college I made pieces for people in the form of graffiti on hats or huge pieces of paper to be put on their walls. I didn't start drawing on shoes until about 2 years ago when I came up short with money for a birthday gift for one of my best friends, Meyla. I had nothing to get for her but she always loved my art. Through her friends, I found out her shoe size, bought a pair of blanks and drew my first pair of u.G.l.y.'s. A little while later, I received more and more interest and soon I found myself drowning in sharpie fumes and enjoying the creativity that followed :)

5. How do you decide what designs fit best for your client?

A lot of my designs are influenced by the ancient Samoan art of "tatau" or "tattoo" as it is commonly known. Each symbol means something in regards to the person I make them for. It's as I mentioned earlier, I interpret your personality and character in my art. The other option is straight up request meaning that I will put on a shoe exactly (or close to it) what a customer wants. not all my designs are polynesian in origin.

6. You recently designed some TOMS for me (ETTEVY Photography) and I absolutely LOVE them!  Can you tell the readers what the symbols included in the design represent?

I did! I'm glad you like'em :) Hope to see you in a picture with them so I can show the world that I have a pro photographer rockin' the u.G.l.y.'s. yes, I can break down the shoes' meaning for you.

I remember you asking me for your logo to be put onto the shoes. Unfortunately, I don't have thee BEST tools to make it exactly as your logo is. On top of that, your shoes are hella small, hahahaha. So what I did was give it a nature feel to it. I did this after looking at YOUR art and seeing how your photos MOVE with life rather than controlling it. 


The frame resembles an old wooden frame if it were painted onto your shoe so i did my best to make it look like paint brush strokes. On the right of the frame, there are birds branching off from it to show that you are an artist. Period. You are not confined to one simple thought or idea and a bird is a perfect example of freedom. The leaves were added with wind swirls on the left of the frame to represent growth and moving forward and not against the winds of change. The leaves represent the different clients of yours who help to make the tree that is Ettevy or Yvette :)

The left shoe was done in Polynesian designs for two reasons. I put them on your left shoe because the left side is where your heart is. These designs are a small representation of how I interpret who you are.

- The top shapes represent footsteps of your ancestors or your family. I put those there because art runs in your blood and in your family as well (i.e. Jose, your brother is a musician)
- The triangle shapes represent protection of your artistic integrity as well as physical protection wherever you are.
- The birds are special birds found in Polynesia, mostly in Samoa. They fly for long distances and at amazing heights. At the end of the day, they always return home. These symbols represent freedom, but they also represent who you are and that no matter where you go, you will always know who you are and where you came from. They are also used to represent protection for travelers like you.
- The symbols below them is a braid. This represents unity and togetherness. The beauty of your art brings a certain peace and comfort. You also have a way of making friends easily and that strengthens your bond with people.
- The symbols below that are spearheads which represent strength and courage. It is my wish for you not only in your art, but in life.
- The honeycombs are simple a design I put together after I asked you a while before I made them as to what kind of designs you like :)

And that is the story of your shoes :)

7. How does one go about ordering/purchasing designs by u.G.l.y?

You can hit me up on facebook or order through word of mouth. i have a lot orders from people who usually ask me through people I know. I'm working on getting a dot.com, but 'til then, fb and word of mouth are all I have. if you're in the bay area, I work with my brothers at southland mall in a store called "people print". I have two pieces on display there and I also get a lot of orders through them.

As far as shoes and things go, it's always best if you can get me your shoes. This guarantees that they fit and that they are the style you like! Some sizes are hard to come by unless they're common like a men's 10.5 or a ladies 7. but i am able to get shoes :)

My prices usually start between $50 - $70. The more the detail and customizing needed will add to the price. a shipping charge is also added if they need to be mailed to you. Other than that, hit me up and let's see what we can do! Be well, God bless and keep it u.G.l.y. peace.