Our latest featured artist is an amazing French philospher and artist named Plushu.

Custom Kicks by Plushu

Tell us a little about yourself and where you come from..

I’m a french guy from Bordeaux / Arcachon. I’ve lived a few years near London and Paris in my childhood too. I’ve travelled a bit (Germany, Spain, GB, Italy, Creat, Japan, Thailand and Australia). I’ve been studying japanese for years, among other things (english, marketing, management, law, and stuff), and have lived one year in Nagoya. I’m finishing my second master’s degree at the time, and thinking about going for a PhD. I also like philosophy and I certainly think too much, but I’m working on it

What are you currently working on?

I’m always doing a million things at the same time (photography and photomanipulation, singing, playing guitar, bass, composing electronic music, doing illustration, writing, etc.). Currently, I’m mostly working on designs for t-shirts for the ever-going contest on Threadless, and I’m trying to make a decent recording of my solo music project. I have also just finished an album cover for a friend’s band. Besides finishing my memoir, of course. I don’t know yet if I will complete it, but I’d also like to make an illustrated book for children.

Where do you find inspiration?

I have many sources of inspiration : weird feelings that I can’t express through words, childhood memories, science (mainly quantum physics and astrophysics), dreams (several tunes came to me through my dreams, when I was lucky enough to remember them), pop culture, forests, mountains and the sea, human behaviour, spiritual references, symbolism, philosophy, etc. Sometimes, I’m starting by illustrating something that fascinates me the most at this time, but more commonly I’m just improvising half-consciously, and often find meanings and unexpected symbols after having finished the work. This is very rare, but I’ve also tried to put tastes or touch feelings into sounds for music : I don’t think I have true synesthesia, but I’ve had synesthetic experiences for sure.

Moustache t-shirt design

What is your design ethos?

I don’t have a particular design ethos, and even though most of the things I do can be viewed as belonging to one style, if you browse my work deep enough, you’ll see that I’m trying lots of different things. Years ago, I was obsessed with creating something “new”, experimental, breaking codes, etc., and I was far too intellectual for everything. Since then, I have re-discovered the importance of body, instinct, relations (conscious or not) you can have with nature and beings around you, and I have lost these stupid ideas about “absolutes” in art, although I try to be original and sincere as much as I can. In philosophical terms, you could say I’ve finally embraced postmodernity. Sometimes, I’m pissed at myself not being able to do everything better, but then looking back at my old stuff gives me hope for never ending improvement.

What are favourite sneakers and why?

My favorite sneakers are the Stan Smith from Adidas. Although they could be more resistant, the simple lines and large white and flat surfaces make it the ultimate sneakers to customize. I have tried to find other models that could match it when I discovered Sneakart and decided to use your products instead of painting, but I just got back to it. As far as I know, for customizers who don’t want huge logos like most of Nike’s shoes and the largest surface to express yourself, there is nothing better than Stan Smith. And as much as I can, wearing an un-customized shoe is now out of question

Plushu's Sneakart designs

You can find out more about Plushu at his website, see his portfolio at Behance and catch him on facebook.