ryo yamazaki captures cats in hats crafted using their own fur

japanese crafter and photographer ryo yamazaki returns with an expanded portfolio of ‘cats in hats’ made from the feline’s own fur. known as ‘nukege hats’ (nukege being the japanese word for ‘shedded fur’), the craze make use of old sheds by shaping and moulding them into wacky creations.

images courtesy of ryo yamazki and hiromo yamazki

the idea came about when yamazki saw a lump of shed had accumulated on the floor that looked like a hat. he decided to mold it into a pointy hat and place it on one of his cat’s heads. fast-forward several years and he has developed a passion for the feline fascinators that he now shares with his wife.

working as a team, ryo and his wife hiromi craft cat caps from their house in tokyo’s tama district. ryo is responsible for taking and uploading photographs of the cats in their creations. meanwhile, hiromi designs and creates each piece.

yamazki and his wife hiromi shares images of their creations on instagram, capturing model cats donning hats in all sorts of shapes and sizes. models include trump tupes, princess leia wigs and whimsical wizard domes. the couple created so many nukege hats that they turned their work into a photobook and later a line of stationery.

each hat takes around a bowl of fur to create but the pair say most of the time they dismantle old models to make way for new ones. during the peak molting seasons — spring and autumn — the they become busy brushing and collecting as much hair as possible.

project info

artist: ryo yamazki / hiromo yamazki
name: nukege hats