As the head of his own brand, J.W.Anderson, and Creative Director of storied Spanish maison Loewe, Jonathan Anderson is one of Britain’s most talented young designers. At the BFAs last year he even picked up both Menswear and Womenswear Designer of the Year — quite a feat, and indicative of his romantic style and fluid approach to the traditional aesthetics of gender and the body.
Somehow, the Northern Irish designer has found time in what must be a very busy schedule to curate an exhibition at Wakefield’s Hepworth Gallery to explore the way designers and artists have approach the human form in the 20th and 21st centuries. Using his own fall/winter 13 collection as a starting point, the exhibition will bring together figurative works from artists like Sarah Lucas, Henry Moore, and Louise Bourgeois, alongside fashion pieces from Rei Kawakubo, Helmut Lang, and Christian Dior.
Explaining his approach to curating, Jonathan said he wanted the exhibition, “To mirror the speed and unexpected encounters that characterize the way in which we consume images today, as well as being a space in which to explore ideas of gender and identity that have been an ongoing part of my creative practice.”
Alongside the main spaces of the exhibition, Anderson will present what he’s referring to as a “research lab,” to give a glimpse into the way he works and finds inspiration, curating a selection of his own personal art and photography. “This is a rare and exciting opportunity for me to bring together some of the works of art and fashion that long inspired my own creative work,” he explains, “And to see what happens when these objects rub up against each other.”
hepworthwakefield.org/JWAnderson
Credits
Text Felix Petty