3 minute read
Veg Head
Born in 1975, Japanese artist Takaya started out as a chef before photography led him to hanayui, the art of using vegetation to dress hair. After attaching plants and flowers to the head, he sculpts the foliage into shape using scissors. As well as crafting striking, Arcimboldo-like compositions for his own photos, Takaya makes creations that are in demand for fashion shows, weddings, live performances and media campaigns. He lives and works in Kyoto.
Q: When did you start on this series of works?
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A: In 2004, when I decided to change my life around and start a new career as an artist. I was a French chef before that. From when I was nine years old, I’d dreamed of having my own restaurant. I began working as a pâtissier when I was 15, became a fully fledged French chef at 19 and made my dream come true at 24, when I opened my own bistro. When I was 30, I decided I wanted to change.
Q: What gave you the idea of putting these arrangements on people?
A: I like to take photographs. One day when I was thinking about what subjects I’d like to shoot, I had a vision of a woman with flowers growing out of her head. As a result of that vision, I got a model to pose while I arranged flowers on her head, and I really felt something – a sense of creation and design springing from my hands. It was then I realized that what I really wanted to do was unite nature and humanity.
Q: Who are your influences?
A: I think I’m influenced by the surroundings I grew up in, by the beautiful architecture of Kyoto and the history of Japan.
Q: Do you object to being called a florist?
I describe myself as an artist, but of course people do sometimes ask whether I’m a make-up artist or a florist. I tell them I’m a hanayuishi, a new creative profession that combines floristry, make-up and art.
Q: What is it that fascinates you about vegetation as a material?
A: I can't compete with the beauty of nature. Flowers, fruits and vegetables are all wonderful examples of design in themselves. So I guess I’m challenging myself to achieve better designs based on natural beauty, which keeps my motivation high.
Q: How long do the arrangements take to do, and how long do they last?
A: I can improvise the design in ten or 15 minutes. How long they last depends on the temperature, wind and humidity, as well as the model’s body temperature. In summer they may hold for three or four hours – in winter about eight hours.
Q: Isn't it hard seeing your living coiffures wither so quickly?
A: The beauty of plants illuminates our life, and then it’s gone. I devote myself to the moment in which my works can shine. Taking photographs of my pieces helps me to preserve something of what I’ve made.
Q: How do you see your work in the future?
A: I’m excited about the future. Who knows, I might become a hat designer. And I’d love to work with fashion designers all over the world. I’ve done a show in Tokyo using only male models. But I’d love to take my work beyond Japan.
Words JANE SZITA
Photos HANAYUISHI TAKAYA
