Kawaii Tabi

Kawaii Tabi — "cute" or "lovable" tabi footwear — translates Kaneko's serialized treatment of the traditional split-toed sock into the language of contemporary kawaii culture, edition 55 of 200 from 2005. The word kawaii carries enormous cultural freight in contemporary Japan, suggesting a quality of endearing smallness and appealing vulnerability. Kaneko's application of this concept to tabi creates a playful collision between traditional craft objects and contemporary pop aesthetics that characterizes his best work.