Sculpture in Mode
Background
Sculpture in Mode is a duo exhibition co-curated by ALIEN MODE and ALIEN Art Centre, bringing together contemporary jewellery artist Jiro Kamata (鎌田治朗) and leather artist Grace Wong (王思涵) in a dialogue between their practices.
Kamata uses vintage camera lenses, optical interfaces, and his own optical gems to explore light, refraction, and perception. Wong transforms leather through folding, layering, and delicate stitching, turning material, time, and traces of the body into sculptural forms that can be carried.
The exhibition takes place at GRACE HAN Taipei Maison of Art from October 18, 2026 to Januany 17, 2027.
Concept Development
The key visual uses abstract forms rather than showing the artworks directly. I aim to create a “state of seeing.” The iridescent light reflects the optical refraction in Jiro Kamata’s work, while the soft, flowing shapes and moiré patterns connect to Grace Wong’s work. Through refraction and moiré effects, the image moves away from fixed objects and explores how perception changes with perspective and body movement.
The Traditional Chinese title, “移動中的雕塑” (“Sculpture in Motion”), carries a slightly different meaning from the English title, Sculpture in Mode. I imagine each character, as an individual sculpture. Using different weights from the same typeface family and shifting the position of each letter, I created a sense of movement within the typography, reflecting the idea of being “in motion.”
Challenge
I wanted to move away from the common practice of using artworks directly in applied arts exhibitions. Instead, I aimed to create a visual that could attract attention in Taiwan without showing the artworks themselves.
I started by a typeface for the letter “O” and giving it a glass-like effect, similar to a marble. I then incorporated colors inspired by camera lenses and leather swatches to bring the two artists’ works together. One of the main challenges was combining their distinct qualities in a single image while creating a sense of transparency.
