‘Mind-boggling and avant-garde’: Japanese wig artist who’s collaborated with Grimes, Bjork and more holds show in Hong Kong

Tomihiro Kono is known for his fanciful wigs, and now 20 of them are on show in his first Hong Kong exhibition with photographer Sayaka Maruyama

The show, at Current Plans gallery, includes surreal hairpieces, photo prints and a video. A show at The Eaton HK hotel features portraits from the pair’s book

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A model wears one of Japanese wig artist Tomihiro Kono’s wigs. His new exhibition runs at Hong Kong’s Current Plans gallery until April 23. Photo: Tomihiro Kono and Sayaka Maruyama

Published: 5:17pm, 8 Mar 2023

Japanese wig artist Tomihiro Kono digs deep into the natural world when seeking inspiration. Many of his hairpieces resemble sea creatures, those otherworldly ones with dangly bits that lurk in the dark depths of the ocean. Moss and moths also inspire him.

The results are whimsical wigs, crafted with real human hair, that take wearable art to new levels.

While traditional wigs cover the entire head, these transformative pieces can be positioned anywhere, at any angle – even on the face.

“For the creature wig series, I first dye the real human hair and shape it into wave forms on the heads of mannequins, then let it dry and add decorations such as beads, feathers and crystals,” Kono says. Each piece, he adds, takes about a week to make.

One of Kono’s wigs that features in the Fancy Creatures exhibition. The hairpieces are made with human hair, and are inspired by nature. Photo: Tomihiro Kono and Sayaka Maruyama

Those in Hong Kong keen for a closer look at Kono’s pastel-infused pieces can head to “Fancy Creatures”, an exhibition in collaboration with photographer Sayaka Maruyama at the Current Plans gallery in Sham Shui Po that’s on until April 23.

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