Above: SK8ER Mario (2009) and SK8 Tattoo Bear (2009)

Oh Mario! It’s good to know you still have plenty of fans out there – and arty Japanese skaters no less! Last month’s eco-friendly “Skate & Destroy” exhibit for Tokyo’s PLSMIS Gallery showcased the work of Harvest by Haroshi – an artist/skater collective known for recycling spent skate decks into sculptures, mosaics, and various pop culture ephemera. From little refurbished apples to kaleidoscopic moose heads, the show is a pixel-geek’s utopia – definitely worth a peruse…

Above: Shy Peaco (2008) and 8WHEELER 火の玉 BOY (2006)

“Skate decks eventually see their life shortened by snapping, cracking and/or wearing out. Purchasing new decks is a never-ending cycle and this was evident by the tower of old decks that were reaching to the ceiling of my room. We can’t throw away these decks because they hold sentimental meanings to us. I looked at these unusable decks every day and thought there must be something I can make with these. I decided to make some accessories with the old decks and this was the birth of Harvest. The works of Harvest are through the perspectives of a skater and an artist. As a skater, I want to take responsibility of reusing skateboards when they are no longer usable. Also, as an artist I want to explore the possibilities of what can be done with skateboards. We see the care and effort that a skater can have for his/her deck and we also acknowledge the origins of a skateboard. We believe that if the small things we do can connect to sustainability then we’re doing something right. We’d be satisfied in our effort when people look at products and start thinking of ways to recycle.” — Harvest by Haroshi

Check out SlamXHype.com for more great snaps from the exhibit!

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