Becoming and Belonging

Patta

Patta evolved from selling sneakers to becoming a globally recognized streetwear brand, with stores in London, Milan, and Lagos and a team of around 70 people. The brand also launched the Patta Foundation and Patta Academy to support youth through cultural education. Juanita Mendicuti Ortega, a talented alumna of the Academy, presents her work in this exhibition.

Photographer Yamandu Roos, a long-time friend of the founders, documented Patta’s journey from the beginning. The exhibition is a visual tribute to Patta's foundations, taking visitors from 1990s Amsterdam to the brand's expanding global community.

Becoming and Belonging reflects on joy, friendship, heritage, and how marginalized communities have carved out spaces in the heart of our cities.

BECOMING

Yamandu Roos (Amsterdam, 1978) studied at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK). In the exhibition BECOMING, he presents a selection from his upcoming book, featuring photos from the years before Patta's founding. These images capture a time when both the artist and his subjects were still young and developing.

BELONGING

Juanita Mendicuti Ortega (Rotterdam, 2001), an alumna of the Patta Academy, presents BELONGING, a selection from her project WHISPERS OF BELONGING. Her work explores identity, heritage, and human connections, inviting viewers to discover the richness of Mexican identity, intertwined with diversity and resilience. The project creates a dialogue between two generations of photographers attempting to capture the complex beauty of human identity.