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THE KICKS OF CONCACAF

image: Lili Cantero headshot

LILI CANTERO

Lili Cantero is a Miami-based Paraguayan artist working at the intersection of art, sport, and culture. She transforms sports iconography—like cleats and footballs—into storytelling pieces exploring identity and culture. Collaborating with global brands like FIFA and Adidas, she uses sports as a universal language to unite communities.

For the Heartbeat Project, Lili served as the conceptual lead, closely co-creating each pair of cleats with regional artists. This unified collection beautifully merges her artistic vision with the unique cultural identities and voices of the collaborating artists' communities.

THE KICKS

image: Green, blue, and red painting with three stylized soccer cleats and calligraphy text that reads "for the love of our game"

HEARTBEAT

Serving as the centerpiece of the HEARTBEAT exhibition, this large-scale canvas visually converges three distinct regions into a single, complete artwork where belief, dreams, and persistence meet. Three conceptual pairs of cleats form a radial composition over a stylized football pitch that organically transitions into each nation’s colors. Graphic lifelines flow across the canvas, connecting all regions to symbolize football as a shared emotional pulse. The top of the artwork features the script: "For the love of our game."

While the physical cleats will live independently through activations at Concacaf House, the canvas remains core of the project’s narrative.

image: canada-kicks-of-concacaf

CANADA

This design concept is rooted in a connection to nature and collective spirit, honoring the commitment and beauty of the athletic process and evolution. The moose emerges as a symbol of strength and an enduring connection to the land, reinforced by national identity-defining maple leaves. A gradient palette inspired by pine forests and northern landscapes creates a seamless transition between environment and emotion, while a background crowd of supporters introduces our powerful collective sports energy. 

The Canada cleats are part of the a multidisciplinary art project collaboration, "HEARTBEAT" in collaboration with Debra Sparrow.

image: mexico-kicks-of-concacaf

MEXICO

“POR LOS QUE NUNCA SE RINDIERON…” a Spanish phrase evoked as a testament to Mexico’s never give up attitude. This boot design is deeply rooted in cultural heritage and historical identity, honoring those who persist regardless of the challenges. It draws inspiration from pre-Columbian symbolism to evoke a connection to time, memory, and legacy. The national emblem's Golden Eagle is reinterpreted as a symbol of overcoming struggle, transformation, and continuity, layered with textures and patterns built over generations. 

The Mexico cleats are part of the a multidisciplinary art project collaboration, "HEARTBEAT" in collaboration with Juan Carlos Santoscoy García.

image: united-states-kicks-of-concacaf

UNITED STATES

“FOR THE ONES WHO DREAMED...“ This design is built around the ideas of aspiration, forward momentum, and opportunity, representing those who dare to imagine what the game can become. Led by the bald eagle as a symbol of vision and freedom, the composition is accented by stars representing direction, purpose, and possibility. Dynamic red, white, and blue lines flow across the surface to create a powerful sense of movement and expansion, reflecting a culture driven by ambition and the pursuit of what lies ahead.

The United States cleats are part of the a multidisciplinary art project collaboration, "HEARTBEAT" in collaboration with Kyle Pulley "SNEAK".

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