Kosuke Sugimoto’s project Shoetree, continues to exhibit under the title of ‘Justification of Deterioration’. Most recently Shoetree showcased select works in pop-up displays hosted by Osaka’s Book and Bed and Tokyo’s CIAOPANIC.
Sugimoto, the self-taught Japanese film-maker, illustrator and motion graphics artist created Shoetree in 2016 when the project was initially reported as a creative social media account. However, Shoetree has since found shelter and illumination in many retail outlets across Tokyo, as a pop-up store phenomenon where the works often feature alongside memorabilia and merchandise inspired by pop-culture favourites such as Eminem, Lady Gaga and Keith Haring.
In creating his works, Sugimoto utilises various Nike models as homes for pot plants, riding on the sole of the popular shoe brand and their various historic models, supported by an arch of wisdom and a comforting ethos. While we don’t like to see our favourite objects and possessions waste away due to the elements, the Shoetree project comes out of hope “for an improvement of the cause,” but is also inspired by the process “of accepting and enjoying the changes,” as Sugimoto explained online.
While Sugimoto admits that “using old unusable sneakers as flower pots is not a particularly unusual expression,” he goes on to explain that the aesthetic of his creation was inspired by “the sight of plant roots stretching across the ruins of collapsed, moss-covered buildings.”
Sugimoto himself is an indie-anime inspired artist and is well-known for his unique concepts and stories with many of his works achieving high-acclaim and winning over the hearts of fans around the world, as he continues on his path of cultural cross-pollination. Shoetree is now distributed worldwide via the Moku online store based in Tokyo, launched in August 2018.