Shogo Ota didn’t know where Idaho was on a map when he was accepted to the University of Idaho in the early 2000s.
What he did know was that is was his mother’s dream for him to have a college education. After five Japanese universities rejected his applications, Moscow, Idaho, became Ota’s next destination.
That was 14 years ago.
Flash-forward to 2016 — students bustle about the Moscow campus, a good majority of them gripping green and white paper cups of coffee. These Starbucks cups are not a new sight on campus, but starting Nov. 1, they became not just a source of caffeine, but a source of Vandal pride. The intricate detail on the cup — depicting 132 faces connected by a singular line — is the work of Ota.
The coffee giant commissioned Ota, who now fronts his own company known as Tireman Studio in Seattle, to design the cup as well as other decorative aspects for Starbucks this holiday season including window decals and more. He’s done work with Starbucks before, including a community poster series and a hand-painted mural on the doors of a new store in Ferguson, Missouri.
According to an article about Ota published by Starbucks, he came up with the idea while simply drawing on a notepad in his Seattle studio. The overall concept of Ota’s work on the green cup has to do with everyone in the world being connected. On the cup they’re connected by one line, and in reality the human race is one huge community.
Ota, originally from Gifu, Japan, said he wanted his art on the cup to bring peace and make everyone feel happy together. The slogan accompanying his artwork is, “Be good to each other.”
Still, the design is nothing short of personal — it incorporates caricatures of Ota’s grandmother, wife, toddler son and friends from across the world. He even incorporated his mother into the cup, telling Starbucks, “She is the reason I moved here in the first place.”
Ota’s first American experience happened in Moscow, and from here he made himself known. It took talent, but more than that, it took determination.
So this holiday season, celebrate his success. Share his story with friends, family and Facebook. Support his art by not only checking out his work for Starbucks, but also show Tireman Studio some love. His company’s website showcases posters and other projects they’ve created, all unique and artful.
To think a man who spent his higher education in North Idaho — a place not necessarily know for its diversity or inclusivity — created this art is a testament to Moscow and a testament to the university. A man from across the world found a home in Idaho and it resulted in art about world harmony — this is a sentiment worthy of notice.
UI has churned out some incredible human beings, and no matter their discipline or background, they all have something in common: They’re all Vandals. Ota is a Vandal, and with every green cup, a piece of UI is being dispersed across the nation.
How neat is that? — LK