Service
Illustration
Client
atmos Japan
Tokyo23
Time
September 2021
“Red Means Stop”
Summary
A 9 x 6ft (2.7 x 1.8m) painting for storefront display to celebrate the grand opening of Tokyo23, a massive 2,100-sq ft Jordan store in the heart of Harajuku. atmos Japan“We want an artist that can celebrate Jordan and Japan at the same time - and we want you to do it.“
Inspiration
The concept of Tokyo23 was “a space that celebrates Jordan and specifically the sneaker, streetwear and basketball community in Japan, so it was my mission to create something that aligned with this statement. I wanted to pay homage to the main character from Slam Dunk, a classic basketball manga/anime series that heavily influenced art and basketball in Japan. The Girl in the piece is encompassing his spirit: how she is someone who stands out and is hard to ignore or not pay attention to. Specifically, I thought it was fitting to reference the episode where he buys his first pair of Jordan’s.
“Be an ambitious, one-of-a-kind individual. Don’t let others stop you from going your way. Believe in your uniqueness and use that to your strength.” These are the messages I poured into this piece, as a good luck charm to this brand new store, which has many ambitious plans of breaking out of what sneaker stores do. But it is my sincere hope that this message reaches to anyone coming across this piece in this incredible city.
