Martin Margiela is one of the most influential and enigmatic figures in contemporary creative culture. The Belgian rose to prominence with the founding of Maison Martin Margiela in 1988, redefining fashion through deconstruction, anonymity and radical reinterpretation of form. Having left the fashion industry in 2008, Margiela turned fully toward visual art, where he continues to explore themes of the human body, absence, time, transformation, and the poetry of the overlooked
Showing from April 11 to April 29, ‘Martin Margiela at Kudan House’ marks the artist’s first large-scale solo exhibition in Japan. Set within a registered cultural property completed in 1927, the exhibition unfolds as a series of ephemeral installations staged throughout the historic residence. Margiela was drawn to the charged contrast between contemporary artworks and the intimate atmosphere of a lived-in architectural space.
Collage, painting, drawing, sculpture, assemblage and video coexist across the mansion’s rooms, inviting visitors into a close and contemplative encounter with the works. Reuse, fragmentation and metamorphosis remain central concerns, as everyday materials are subtly transformed into poetic propositions. Conceived and curated entirely by the artist, the exhibition reflects Margiela’s enduring desire not to provide answers, but to pose questions, with disarming intimacy.
