ROOTOTE, a brand specializing in tote bags, will produce and sell art tote bags for artists participating in "Independent Tokyo 2026" as an incubation project to fully support the careers of emerging artists.
The works of 33 artists will be commercialized as special collaboration tote bags, with ROOTOTE's iconic standard vertical model "TALL" serving as the canvas. This initiative aims to connect artists with society by delivering their works not just as something to "display," but as "art to carry around" in daily life.


 

■ Participating Artists
@asanomakoto., Masakane Abe, Emi Idachi, Oimy, Hiroaki Onuma, Hayato Ogura, Akiko Kasai, Saori Kashiwamura, Atsushi Kawakita, Lisa Kishida, Q-tani T-ko, Gento, Hako Shimakawa, Daman, Rino Tokito, TOYO, Toyomi Dubai, Homare Nishide, Hana Yamashita, MAMETA, Mayu Croissant, Mari Nishimura, Keita Minami, Masanori Miyachi, Takuya Miyamoto, Yamachiha, Nana Yamazaki, Riku Yamamoto, yuha, YOKOSHOW, Takayuki Yokoyama, Ruchika, REIINABA　

While inheriting the spirit of ROOTOTE (RT), the semicolon ";" represents its connection to the new line, "ESKA." The semicolon is a mark that connects sentences while respecting the independence of each. It symbolizes the open, spacious relationship between the values of ROOTOTE and the new design aesthetics created by the new line.

〈Oki Sato, Representative of design office nendo〉

Born in Canada in 1977. Completed his master's degree in architecture at Waseda University in 2002 and established the design office nendo in the same year. He has been named one of "The 100 Most Respected Japanese People" by Newsweek magazine and has received numerous prestigious international design awards, including "Designer of the Year" at the EDIDA (2012). His representative works are housed in museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. He was responsible for the design of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cauldron and the new TGV high-speed train in France. He serves as the General Producer for the Japanese Government Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

A tote bag that looks like a scarf
“ROOTOTE TABLO“

The eco-bag that you just carry around has been transformed into a tote that you can show off as part of your fashion.

ANDY WARHOL x ROOTOTE

Andy Warhol (1928–1987) was a preeminent 20th-century American artist and an iconic figure of the Pop Art movement.

Using silkscreen repetition, he created works featuring motifs from American popular culture, such as Campbell's Soup cans, Coca-Cola, and Marilyn Monroe, as well as advertisements, commercial products, and movie stars. By incorporating everyday imagery into art, he fundamentally transformed the boundaries between fine art and pop culture.

Furthermore, his work extended beyond painting into a wide range of media including film, photography, publishing, music, and television. As a pioneer who bridged the gap between art and contemporary culture, he continues to exert a profound influence around the world today.

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TOFU

5 sizes
2 colors
Simple Design
Self-Standing

Kvadrat

Founded in Denmark in 1968, Kvadrat is deeply rooted in Scandinavian design tradition. They produce high-performance design textiles, rugs, and acoustic and window covering solutions for both commercial and residential interiors.

 

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NORDISKA TYGER and ROOTOTE have collaborated to revive textile designs from the 1960s and 70s on organic cotton.

These designs have been reissued and reconstructed for Japanese fans, giving birth to the new brand "NORDISKA TYGER." In Swedish, "Nordiska" means "Nordic" and "Tyger" means "textiles."

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In the early 1950s, the legendary design group Push Pin Studios was called the "origin of Pop Art." Over 200 archived works, centered on the new work "POSTERMAN" by its founder, Seymour Chwast, who is now 90 years old, have been revived using the latest digital technology. The "Push Pin Phenomenon" swept through the golden age of New York design. Now, after almost half a century, that legendary "Push Pin Style" can be enjoyed on a tote bag!

FEATURE HERE

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Photography dates back to the daguerreotype in 1839, but its influence on the evolution of art began even before then. From the 17th century onwards, camera obscura enabled artists to create accurate one-point perspective, helping to shift painting from religious art to naturalism and realism.

Contemporary photography has evolved from silver halide to digital and inkjet printing, transforming it into a form of "machine painting" that maximizes color and texture, creating a new aesthetic that goes beyond traditional painting and printmaking.

icon CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY is a platform for exploring the possibilities of photography as contemporary art and communicating to the world the unique visual expressions of Japanese artists who combine tradition with cutting-edge technology.

Icon Representative / Tomohide Ikeya

-Photographer-

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