Richard X.Zawitz, J.W.Anderson Collaboration Fashion Show

Spend five minutes playing with Richard X. Zawitz’s Tangle Creations and you’ll be hooked. The, actually smaller-scale models of Zawitz’s fine art sculptures, are made of interlocked 90-degree curves that can be twisted and bent into a plethora of poses.

The process of winding and twisting the pieces is addicting, perhaps more than it should be because no matter how hard you try to make something useful from the shining forms, they evade any common functionality. The brand partnered with Zawitz on handles inspired by the Tangles for its Spring 2016 bags, and the results are as arresting as the sculptures themselves.

His Tangles have been worn by Grace Jones and Michael Jackson, who sported a large-scale version in L’Uomo Vogue’s cover storylensed by Bruce Weber.

The resulting brightly hued pouches with the Tangles as handles became an Instagram sensation following the label’s show, thanks in part to a photo shoot that occurred backstage where one of Zawitz’s life-sized sculptures was installed

They just contacted me out of the clear blue sky,” Zawitz explains over the phone from Hong Kong, where he spends part of the year working. “I’m not in the fashion industry, so I had not heard of J.W.Anderson, but since working with them, I’ve become well acquainted with the young man and know they’re a hot young brand coming to the fore.”

The collaboration was completed via conference calls and Skype, with the artist contributing ideas from his San Francisco studio to Jonathan Anderson’s team in London

Besides signature works, I’ve kept exploring materials, crafts, and philosophy in the purpose of adding something new to the sculptures, such as new textures, shapes, characters, functions, and massages, etc.

Richard saw a traditional Tibetan endless knots in a temple; it was at that moment an inspiration flashed into his mind.

It happened that Richard was back to his studio in Hong Kong from the US, I seized this opportunity to talk to him in person about aesthetics and philosophy. The room is full of silvery sculptures as well as a series of newly created artworks, which are wood and stone carvings of Chinese style.

Having strong interest in Chinese culture since he was small, Richard was specialised in sculpture and Taoist philosophy when he was studying in the University of Hawaii. He recalled that he made his first step into the realm of art because of his first wife, who was born into a family of artists. In those days, Richard, having the characteristics of hippy, loved freedom and was keen to pursue everything that he was passionate about.

Upon graduation, he travelled to several places such as Tibet, Japan, India, and Nepal, etc. to learn wood and stone carving. Eventually, he got inspired during a trip to Nepal in 1973. In the course of crossing the Himalayas,

Richard saw a traditional Tibetan endless knots in a temple; it was at that moment an inspiration flashed into his mind.

From then on, Richard started creating a series of sculptures and named it Infinity, which is to convey the thoughts of Taoism and “power thinking” through art.

Let’s share something about your cooperation with J.W. Anderson that is rarely known to others.

At first, J.W. Anderson contacted us and initiated a cooperation of a series in the next season. From ornaments to printings, you can always find the patterned element of Infinity. The main point is, the Brand has introduced a new handbag design that used sculpture as the handles. And I’ve also lent out a sculpture of Infinity to be displayed in the showroom of J.W. Anderson, which also serves as a decoration for photo-shooting.