Yüz için mücevher? Kulağa biraz garip gelse de neden olmasın? Japonya’da doğup Londra’da yaşayan Akiko Shinzato, Central Saint Martins’den mezun. Sadece tasarımları üzerinde değil akıllarımız üzerinde de oynamayı seven Shinzato, ufacık bir detayla aşina olduğumuz tüm algıları yerle bir edebiliyor. V&A Museum’da düzenlenen Savage Beauty sergisinde Swaroski ile yaptığı işbirliğini 2015 Swarovski Award’ı kazanarak kotaran sanatçı, son serisi Putting on Someone’s Identity’i çok güzel anlatıyor:

“We perform appearance managements for the sake of beauty, from dieting to exercise, makeup to cosmetic surgeries and so on. Facebook and other social networking services are used to broadcast chosen images of self and “make up” an identity. We treat our appearances according to how we want to be seen by others and put this alternative veil of identity on the faces. In other words, our appearances can be modified and manipulated as we wish. In fact, physical attractiveness affects a person’s mind; the more you feel that you are attractive, the more you get confident. Historically, women used men’s outfit to project power. Therefore, in this collection I am using the aesthetic and structural idea of a pair of pince-nez as an element of Victorian attire that attaches and detaches to maintain the self-esteem of the wearer.”

Akiko Shinzato