The KURA gallery at ISSEY MIYAKE KYOTO presents KURA Exhibition “ELEMENTS.”

The inspiration for the Spring Summer 2026 collection, “DANCING TEXTURE,” comes from the work of Japanese ceramic artist Shoji Kamoda (1933–1983). Upon encountering the works of Kamoda—who fearlessly sought his own vision of form, unconfined by the conventions of traditional craftsmanship or established ceramic practices—the IM MEN design team intuitively felt that they wanted to wear this pottery as garments.

A form liberated from conventional structures. Textures with a sense of depth, and details created through meticulous, time-intensive craftsmanship. By repeatedly moving between the contrasting materials of clay and cloth, the energy emanating from Shoji Kamoda’s works is expressed as garments, uniquely characteristic of IM MEN.

In his practice, Kamoda often employed a technique whereby he would glaze and fire clay, then deliberately scrape off the glaze afterwards. This demonstrated that by rethinking conventional techniques he could bring out unique textures of clay and a complexity of form through his innovative approach and meticulous repetition.

In this exhibition, we present the series ELEMENTS, which explores how Shoji Kamoda’s repeated processes and his bold yet delicate finishing techniques were translated into the methods of garment-making.

Explore a different facet of the world of IM MEN and Shoji Kamoda at each venue.

IM MEN theater: Echoes of Shoji Kamoda
Sunday, March 1 - Monday, April 27
ISSEY MIYAKE GINZA | CUBE

UROKOMON: The Rhythm of Layers
Sunday, March 1 - Saturday, April 25
ISSEY MIYAKE SEMBA | CREATION SPACE

1st Collection Gallery 2026–2027:
Special Exhibition
Clay and Cloth: Shoji Kamoda and IM MEN
Saturday, March 28 - Sunday, June 21
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

For the latest information on exhibitions, please see SPECIAL PROJECTS.