栢木 進｜ SUSUMU KAYAKI
A single portrait, interwoven with the passage of time.
When I first saw this work, I felt a strange sensation—that, despite being a collage, it was more than just a single portrait.
New expressions appear with each closer look, and the impression changes with each shift in gaze. Beneath its beauty lies not only the time and experience the artist has accumulated, but also the art and philosophy inherited from the past, quietly breathing within.
The works of KAYAKI, which we introduce here, draw inspiration from Picasso and Margiela, but they are not merely quotations; they are works that elevate these influences into his own unique expression.
In this feature, we will unravel the ideas embedded in the works through the production process and KAYAKI's own words.
共鳴 ー Echo ー
時間の肖像 Portrait of the Flow＃１
ART | July 31, 2026 14:00
SUBMISSION
SUBMISSION
This work portrays a woman not as a fixed portrait, but as an entity where multiple eras overlap.
The makeup used as material for the work represents the 1950s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2020s. Each era's aesthetic was the theme, and the makeup was applied to a single model and photographed.
What is expressed here is not merely a difference in style between eras. It is the very act of time itself, where values and aesthetics nurtured in different eras intersect and are passed down within a single woman.
The completed beauty artwork is then completely separated. It is then reconstructed using the technique of analog collage, transforming into a new portrait where multiple timelines coexist within a single face.
Is what we perceive as "a single face" truly shaped by only one era?
This work quietly questions whether beauty is not a single set of values, but rather shaped by the layering of aesthetics nurtured and passed down through each era.
Photographer : Sohei Yanaoka
Stylist : Michiko Koizumi
Hair : YAMA
Make : Susumu Kayaki
Model : Lisa Siera
栢木 進｜ SUSUMU KAYAKI
The Eye's Other Expression.
Upon seeing the finished work, the first thing that draws the eye is its gaze.
The iris holds layers of light, emitting a quiet glow. This light is not from printing. The layers of cut paper, as they catch the light, create delicate shadows, reflecting the inherent expression of the material itself.
Furthermore, the slight differences in height between the parts give the pupil a three-dimensional depth, naturally drawing the gaze inward into the work, even though it is a two-dimensional piece.
The eye is not merely a reflection of emotion. By receiving light, casting shadows, and accumulating time, it imbues a single work with a sense of life.
Are we perceiving beauty in the sparkle of the eye? Or are we finding the presence of life in the depth woven by light and shadow?
The quiet presence that the lips convey.
If the eyes breathe life into a work of art, then it is the lips that quietly support that presence.
The layers of cut and layered parts give the lips a delicate thickness and shading, creating a soft texture. The glossy surface, illuminated by light, exudes a presence that makes you forget it is made of paper.
The slightly shifted contours and cross-sections are not meant to disrupt the perfected beauty.
As traces of overlapping fragments of different times, they give a quiet depth to a single face.
The lips are not merely organs for speaking. They encompass emotions, time, and even memories, and are a symbol that reflects a person's individuality.
Do we perceive beauty in the shape of the lips? Or do we perceive a person's existence in the overlapping time etched into their contours?
Another Space Created by Depth.
The three-dimensionality of this work is not solely due to the thickness of the layered paper.
Each cut and layered piece is positioned at a different distance, creating delicate shadows as it receives light. These shadows not only accentuate the outlines but also create a sense of depth within the work.
The viewer's gaze is guided from the foreground parts to the face, and then further into the background. Although it is a two-dimensional work, the viewer feels as if they are gazing not at a single sheet of paper, but at a space that is layered upon layer.
The shadows do not exist solely to reveal form.
Through the interplay of light and shadow, the work acquires a quiet depth, giving the portrait a new presence.
This depth did not originate from a single photograph.
栢木 進｜ SUSUMU KAYAKI
Beauty begins with deconstruction.
A single beauty artwork doesn't end the moment it's completed.KAYAKI cuts out every part of the finished piece and disassembles it into its individual components.Eyes, mouth, hair, hands, flowers. Each part becomes an independent entity, waiting for the moment to be reassembled into a single face.Behind the finished artwork lies a multitude of choices and corrections. Deconstruction is not the end, but the first step in beginning a new expression.
A beautiful face is not born by chance.
The finished work is the result of an immense amount of trial and error, far more than one might imagine from its appearance.The creation process begins with cutting out a single photograph.All the parts are separated, and then, one by one, they are rearranged to assemble the "beautiful face."KAYAKI says, "If even one part is placed in the wrong place, it will not be a beautiful face."A difference of just a few millimeters can change the flow of the gaze, alter the expression, and affect the overall impression of the work. Therefore, the position of each part is adjusted repeatedly, constantly searching for the optimal location.The finished work was not born from a moment of inspiration.Meticulous design and endless trial and error—that accumulation of effort gives each piece a quiet persuasive power.There is a time spent in the creation process that cannot be conveyed through words alone. We encourage you to watch the video to see the process.
Artist's Voice KAYAKI
At the heart of creative work are works and ideas that have been passed down through generations.
We asked Mr. KAYAKI to share his own thoughts on the inspiration behind this work.
Having worked as a makeup artist for approximately 25 years, I have recently begun creating analog collages using my own makeup work as material.
Makeup work is a "team expression" created together with models, photographers, and retouchers.
While I find great joy in the process, I have also sought an expression that can be completed solely by my own hands. I deliberately cut up completed works and re-paste them. Through this reconstruction, which involves a certain kind of violence, a new image of womanhood emerges that doesn't exist anywhere else.
I destroy to remember, and rebuild to forget. Each piece is a convergence of the time, thoughts, and skills I have accumulated, culminating in a single image of womanhood. Furthermore, this very attitude of "generating new ideas from what already exists" is, for me, a quiet message to consumer society and a practice of conceptual upcycling.
In creating this work, I was greatly influenced by Pablo Picasso's Cubist perspective in "Dora Maar" and Martin Margiela's concept of "deconstruction and reconstruction."
Picasso depicted a single figure not from a single perspective, but as one where multiple perspectives and timelines exist simultaneously. To me, it feels less like a depiction of a "face" and more like a depiction of the act of "seeing" itself.
On the other hand, Margiela deconstructed clothing, deliberately revealing its structure to express the time and traces of creation behind the finished product. For me, deconstruction is not about destruction, but a creative process to generate new value.
I wanted to translate those two ideas into the expression of makeup.
By deconstructing completed makeup works and reconstructing them through analog collage, I express the multiple timelines, multiple aesthetic sensibilities, and multiple perspectives that exist within a single woman, all as a single portrait.
Just as Picasso deconstructed "perspective" and Margiela deconstructed "clothing," I deconstruct "perfected beauty."
I believe that beauty does not exist in a moment of completion, but resides in the process of being broken down, reassembled, and continuously renewed.
This work is not only a portrait of a woman, but also a portrait of time and memory passed down through generations.
I hope that each viewer's own memories and experiences will be reconstructed as a new story within this work.
栢木 進｜SUSUMU KAYAKI
共鳴 ー Echo ー
時間の肖像 Portrait of the Flow＃１