British-made leather (layers of leather)
German-made leather (outside)
L480 x W120 x H470
The title of the solo exhibition that renown shoemaker, Noriyuki Misawa held for the first time as an artist was “interior shoes” (unwearable shoes) (2014). The audiences were amazed by the art works that take advantage of his fabulous skill, acquired as a custom-made shoemaker, instilling his spirit of inquiry in pursuing formative artistry, and in the details that make people feel even craziness. Since then, Misawa has collaborated with various artists, both at home and abroad, such as a collaboration project (wearable shoes) under the theme of music with a tap dancer, an illustrator, and a musician; in the meantime, an art work that came out was “Vehicle” (2019). This art piece was made in tribute to Syd Mead, a legendary visual futurist, who has inspired artists all over the world. As you see by its title, the art work “Vehicle” is a near-future shoes that combined functional artistry and formative artistry that Misawa continues to pursue in shoemaking. It fascinated the viewers.
Then, ”Foot’s nest”(2020) has appeared. As if slipping a foot into a high heel, cradling your foot, the art piece is an attempt to visualize the external space of the foot. In general shoemaking, shoes are formed by making sides with planar leather running around the foot, but this piece was made by creating the external space of the foot. The material chosen is a leather used for heels. To fill the space, piling the several-fold layers of leather brought a sense of dignity, just like a “nest” made by animals or insects. It is hard to believe that everything is fabricated by hands, so Misawa’s excellent talents are fully demonstrated in this work.
“Imagination is the creation of putting elements together, whatever the idea is, in different combinations. It’s a process of arranging knowledge into new formats.” Syd Mead once said. Under the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, going out is restricted as we are ordered to stay home, the world forces people to change their lifestyles. Shoes might be not only device for merely for walking. In such modern days, Misawa’s “Foot’s nest” suggests a new format of the Shoe.
