katsuya kamo exhibits 100 couture headpieces

one of the 100 head pieces by katsuya kamo, made for junya watanabe’s 2010 runway show
image © designboom

katsuya kamo : 100 headpieces
november 2nd, 2013 – november 18th, 2013
exhibition and accompanying book from tokyo’s laforet museum

at the intersection of surrealistic sculpture and the catwalk experience are the remarkable couture headpieces handcrafted by japanese artist katsuya kamo. renowned for his celebrated collaborations with some of fashion’s most relevant names — junya watanabe, comme des garçons, and chanel are just a few  — kamo has distinguished himself as more than a hair and makeup designer, foraying into master craftsmanship and avant-garde artistry. a sort of visionary millinery characterizes kamo’s aesthetic, employing modest mediums like paper, feathers, tape, and rope in the conception of his highly imaginative forms. the parameters of theme and tone are acutely explored; some work feels almost sinister, wrapping twisting black tape and pointing prongs wildly around the face, yet another sample starring feathery rabbit ears is every bit charming and sweet. a recent solo exhibit at tokyo’s laforet museum showcased some 100 examples of hair, hats and head-accessories, alongside a reproduction of his personal atelier. the show displayed many of his most prominent non-conformist designs for the first time and therefore has been a unique opportunity for the public to see his masterpieces up close.

a sac-like headpiece with piercings built into the fabric for japanese fashion brand undercover’s 2008 runway show
image © designboom

the curated collection comprises uninterrupted sections of thematic exploration. constituting the majority of the exhibition space is an undulating sea of minimalist mounted figureheads, each bearing their own head-bound garment. secured on rough wooden plinths, all of which are crudely autographed with the name and date of the designer and season shown, the structural assemblages born onto the busts saturate the space in color and texture. his vocation and creative fixation on craft, material, and method is cohesive trademark, uniting the room’s overwhelming array of artworks turned accessories. 

the sea of minimalist mounted figureheads each bearing a distinct head garment
image © designboom

a spiking white head arrangement
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rabbit influenced head gear for undercover’s 2013 runway show
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a series of three head pieces for junya watanabe are influenced by punk and gothic styles
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a black thorny garment made for the chanel show in 2009
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accumulated along the exterior of a main entrance staircase, clusters of transparent framed boxes facade the wall from floor to ceiling. the wunderkammer has been directly transferred from his personal studio into the foyer of the laforet museum, compiling an assemblage of collectables that materialize his creative preoccupation of seeking and keeping.

the cabinet of curiosities along the wall is the artist’s compilation of collectables
image © designboom

small boxes materialize kamo’s creative preoccupation of seeking and keeping
image © designboom

inviting exhibition visitors to peek into kamo’s fantastic mind and method, a reproduction of his working studio is built into the gallery space. half-finished headpieces, scribbles, musings, notes, and matter are casually furnished on his atelier tabletop and walls, granting a visceral sense of intimacy and acquaintance with the artist’s inner analysis.
 

a reproduction of kamo’s working studio is built into the gallery space
image © designboom

half-finished headpieces, scribbles, musings, notes fill the studio table
image © designboom

katsuya kamo in his studio with a collection of the 100 head pieces exhibited
image © yasutomo ebisu
 

portrait of katsuya kamo at the exhibit with a selection from his 100 head pieces show
image © designboom

katsuya kamo was born in 1965.
he wanted to be a fashion designer at first but entered fashion working in the field of hairdressing with mod’s hair in 1988 until he started his own artistic career with junya watanabe at comme des garçons in 1996. kamo went on to work on campaigns for fendi, chanel, karl lagerfeld and maison martin margiela, jun takahashi of undercover, alongside editorial commissions and visual campains for new york times, vogue, wallpaper and dazed & confused, just to mention a few. kamo won the mainichi fashion award grand prix in 2003, and since 2005 he has explored his creativity overseas. his not-for-sale headpieces are on today’s most praised runways. kamo lives and works in tokyo, new york and paris.

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