Katsuya Kamo – The Second Face

Am I the only one thinking human hair is literally the second face of ours? I always look people’s hair first even before their face. I know it sounds creepy, but I’m excessively interested with inspecting other people’s hair shapes.

Please do not confuse the matter, I do not cut and sniff people’s hair like the Thin Man from the Charlie’s Angels. However, our hair truly defines how we look. And.. There is someone who talks with inanimate stuff like the hair, Katsuya Kamo.

(Courtesy of Katsuya Kamo)

(Courtesy of Katsuya Kamo)

Katsuya Kamo, renowed hairdresser, generated innumerable magnificent headpieces and image making for reputable designers like Undercover, Junya Watanabe, Haider Ackermann and much more.

Katsuya served for prominent high-fashion houses, haute-coture mediums and exhibitions – art of installation. Before the settlement in Paris, his journey commenced in a hair salon, in Fukuoka, Japan.

According to my research, I’ve seen that he didn’t receive recommendations or instructions from these impeccable designers while creating his art for them. That is absolutely something rare. Evidently, simultaneous symbiotic work-flow ensured conformity.

Haplessly, he passed away in 2020, age 54. His ultimate sculptural work will be remembered eternally!

As he once said that ”I wanted to be a fashion designer” obviously he become much more than that.

Broadly, Katsuya used materials like spikes, hairpins, feathers, plastic and many other things. He had a knowledge of a technique for transfiguration of objects. Throughout that peculiar technique, he genuinely crafted new identities for the society, which preferentially I would like to call ”the second face”.

Most wonderful things carry out under the wings of extremism albeit simplicity should be the inspiration.

You should gain archival knowledge about Katsuya Kamo by visiting Between Order & Chaos: Katsuya Kamo article prepared by Google Arts & Culture as well. Visit here.

So long, Hakan.

(Courtesy of Katsuya Kamo)