Whitewall (US, web) has featured an interview with Eugene Kangawa on the Paris exhibition, held during Art Basel Paris and organized by ISSEY MIYAKE, of his Light and shadow inside me series, presented in collaboration with A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE.
“Light and shadow are always one. At times, shadow can be beautiful, while light can hold a power that is almost terrifying. What matters to me is not to overlook the gradations in between, but to face them with attention—that gaze itself is essential.”
Eugene Kangawa / EUGENE STUDIO is featured in an interview published by Whitewall (US, web) on TYPE-XIV Eugene Studio project, a special exhibition in Paris organized by A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE, presenting the Light and shadow inside me series in collaboration with A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE.
Title: Inside Issey Miyake and Artist Eugene Kangawa’s Art Basel Paris Collaboration
Published: October 21, 2025
Author: Eliza Jordan
Excerpt from the article
“YOSHIYUKI MIYAMAE: What struck me most was the idea that “light itself becomes a material, generating new aesthetic values through the passage of time.” Sunlight or exposure in a darkroom leaves traces on paper, where chance and inevitability intertwine with the dual nature of light and shadow inherent in all things.
Our TYPE-XIV Eugene Studio project was an attempt to translate this philosophy into textiles. A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE, rooted in Issey Miyake’s concept of “a piece of cloth,” has long sought to generate diverse expressions and extend that vision further. Inspired by Kangawa’s work, we were compelled to return to the fundamental question of what fabric truly is.
Combining threads may appear simple, yet under light their density reveals infinite variations. When just two colors of thread—black and white—are interwoven, gradations, shadows, and even invisible spaces emerge. Like silver halide particles responding to light, textiles too take on tranquil gradations through the mediation of light.
By connecting Kangawa’s philosophy—where light and shadow coexist—with the essential medium of woven fabric, we hope to suggest new possibilities for what clothing and textiles can be.”
“Eugene Kangawa: Light and shadow are always one. At times, shadow can be beautiful, while light can hold a power that is almost terrifying. What matters to me is not to overlook the gradations in between, but to face them with attention—that gaze itself is essential.”
“This philosophy has arisen from many experiences in my life—both social and personal. From the state of the world, to the death of my mother, to the yearning for peace, and to encounters with nature—these have all shaped the way I have come to understand it.”
(End of excerpt)
Read the full article on Whitewall
*The digital archive of the exhibition is available here.
https://the-eugene-studio.com/press/issey-miyake-a-poc-able-collaboration-light-and-shadow-2025/