You don't need to be an experienced exhibition curator to know that the best art events and installations are the ones in which members of the public are requested to actively participate in a fun and engaging way.
That's exactly what happened during last weekend's compact exhibition "Wigs (Perruques)" at The Community in Paris.
Celebrating the art of Japanese hair artist, head prop designer and wig maker Tomihiro Kono (河野富広), the event drew all sorts of people to the former barber shop recently turned into a multidisciplinary art space run by an artist collective.
There were indeed not just the usual fashionistas or design students among the visitors, but people of all ages - from children with their parents to more mature visitors.
All of them were allowed to try on some of the wigs and they willingly did so, laughing about themselves, stilishly transforming themselves or temporarily trying on a new identity.
The cutest visitors were undoubtedly kids, but grown-ups joined the game with unexpected glee as if they were kids playing at being grown-ups.
Kono, who started focusing on wig-making 2 years ago and has since then produced a lot of fantastical and whimsical pieces, is going to collect these experiences at The Community in a future volume about his work.
While he loved the experience that got him the chance to speak with people and see them interacting with pieces that are usually mainly employed on fashion sets or runways, Kono was also fascinated by the space where he exhibited the pieces.
The walls of the venue with their pastel paint peeling and empty rectangles where the mirrors were or the random hairstyle posters hidden behind a curtain, were tangible signs of the previous life as a barber shop of The Community, and went well with the theme of transformation, readaptation and adoption of a new identity inspired by the wigs.
When we mention wigs, we immediately think about the history of headpieces, or dressing up and changing our identity or maybe restoring it during/after an illness. In this exhibition wigs became instead proper artworks - can you tell us more about the wigs included in the event?
Tomihiro Kono: The event included around 15 colourful wigs in different styles. I hung them from the ceiling as if they were floating in the air. The wigs I make are very light, so I of wanted to give the impression the pieces were weightless. Besides, it is quite beautiful to see the wigs from the inside, as you can see how they are made with each hair knotted into the lace underneath. Other partial hair pieces were instead stuck on the walls as if they were surreal objects.
Wig design is a very difficult and time consuming art and you started creating wigs relatively recently: what prompted you to move into this discipline?
Tomihiro Kono: It was a natural progression. My focus remains head design and my career started cutting hair, then I moved onto hair styling and eventually head props. I'm currently making wigs from scratch, a stage of my work that continues the natural circle of my career. You see, I might be quite known for head props, but my personal interest from the very beginning has been hair as a material as I learnt Japanese Geisha hair styling when I was in Japan. So in my career I'd like to cover all the tecniques related to hair. You're right, wig making is really time consuming and you need patience, but I think you can always find the time to create. In a nutshell, I do it because it's my passion!
There are two different methods of making wigs - weaving hair around a silk warp to form a weft, a sort of small fringe structure that is then used as a building block for the wig while the wefts are sewn and styled onto the foundation made out of nets or silk, and weaving the hair directly onto the foundation material using a ventilating (or knotting) needle. Why did you choose the second method and how did you feel about having to learn everything from scratch?
Tomihiro Kono: I've always wanted to learn proper skills from a good teacher, but I also love finding my own way through things or learning things by myself. In this case I liked imagining how old wig masters made wigs of such a high quality. I looked for old wig-making books to educate myself, even though I found a few in French and I can't speak the language, but I can still look at the images and get inspired. The way I learn is maybe not as straightforward as more conventional methods, but I like it. It would be great to learn some secrets from a great wigmaking teacher one day!
In your work you are often inspired by mathematical precision: did you include any wigs in the show inspired by maths or geometry?
Tomihiro Kono: It's really funny that people may not think a wig has anything to do with mathematics, but actually it has. In my case I plan designing wigs while I knot each strand of hair into Swiss laces, of which each tiny hole is a hexagonal shape. The hairs are individually knotted to the foundation lace in various directions that replicate the natural growth directions of a person's hair. I also have to think about the balance of density of hair and how much hair I should knot into which part of head, so wig-making is a mathematical process!
What's the most difficult technical aspect of being a wig maker?
Tomihiro Kono: The wig has to be made in accordance with the size of a person to fit perfectly. For my wigs, I use fine nylon lace for the foundation which is not so stretchy, so sometimes the wig can be too big or too small, depending from who wears it.
Which is the most elaborate wig on display?
Tomihiro Kono: All of them - each wig takes more than 50 hours.
And your favourite wig?
Tomihiro Kono: All of them! I can indeed transform a wig into any style by cutting, styling and colouring it, so any wig can become my favourite one!
People who visited the exhibition could try on the pieces as a side project - how did it go? Did they enjoy this opportunity?
Tomihiro Kono: I think this exhibition was a big success. It was definitely so much FUN! Kids were very excited to do the fittings and they wanted to try on almost everything! I think the way wigs were floating attracted them a lot. During the opening night they started to do fitting wigs and things were soon out of control because everyone wanted to try things on. A lot of people also came to talk with me and they took time viewing my work, which gave me a great pleasure. I was so busy talking with people at one point that I felt a bit like Mickey Mouse in Disneyland surrounded by fans!
Where would you like your wigs to be displayed next, a museum maybe or a gallery?
Tomihiro Kono: The list is long, but among the other institutions it ideally includes The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, The Met in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris!
Did you work on the hairstyles of any of this week's menswear shows?
Tomihiro Kono: I didn't as I'm focusing on the head styles for Aganovich for their Haute Couture collection that will be presented on the 1st July. I've already worked with the design duo before for their ready-to-wear Autumn/Winter 2016 collection. Nana Aganovich and Brooke Taylor are very excited to have my pieces for their first Haute Couture show and I'm currently busy as I'm prepping for the show using the coloured wigs that were part of the exhibition. Stay tuned to know more about it!
All images in this post courtesy and copyright Tomihiro Kono
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