On October 10, Rootote Co., Ltd. opened the exhibition for the "23rd Tote as Canvas Art & Design Award by ROOTOTE." It runs at Monkey Gallery in Daikanyama, Tokyo, through Sunday, October 18.
A variety of expression on a plain tote
"Tote as Canvas" is a plain tote bag that treats the bag itself as a canvas, so you can express art in whatever way you like. The award is held every year as a place to present works made with this tote.
The exhibition shows not only this year's winning works but also past Grand Prix works. It offers a way of seeing that differs from flat paintings, such as works that make the shape of the bag or its handles part of the piece.
Plush toys and embroidery that make use of the tote's shape
This year's Grand Prix went to "Totoy Otote" by Yu. Inspired by the viewpoint of a daughter who dotes on her little brother, the work uses felt and embroidery thread. A plush baby is placed in a baby carrier attached to the tote's handles.
The runner-up Grand Prix works include "Genso Kairo Cyber Cat" by Kazuhiro Ikeda, "YES" by patch ant, and "Noto no Sora to Toki no Mai: Senmaida ni Yosete" (The Sky of Noto and the Dance of Crested Ibises: For the Senmaida Terraced Rice Fields) by Mayu. Selected works are also on display.
This year, works were chosen from 90 entries. At the exhibition, you can see up close not only the results of the awards but also how each creator used materials and how they transformed the bag.
At the Daikanyama venue through October 18
- Dates: Saturday, October 10 to Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Hours: 10:00-19:00
- Admission: Free
- Venue: MONKEY GALLERY
- Address: 12-8 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
The venue is a gallery in Daikanyama. Information on the exhibited works is also available on the ROOTOTE brand site.
Image: courtesy of Super Planning Co., Ltd.
