JUM NAKAO is a world-renowned Brazilian artist. As his name suggests, he is a third-generation Japanese descendant with roots in Japan. His diverse creative output spans a wide range of fields, from fashion brands to costume design, art, furniture, architecture, and animation. While receiving endless offers from leading Brazilian companies, including Nike and Coca-Cola, he also directed the closing ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics. Many will remember his stunning performance, which fully showcased the charm of the next host country, Brazil, and even featured soccer legend Pelé. JUM NAKAO collaborated with Mayotae, a company that revives traditional Japanese hemp cloth, at the "Brasil Fantastico! Celebrating Brazil in Paradise" event held at Isetan Shinjuku (June 3-9, 2015). JUM NAKAO, visiting Japan for the first time in 30 years for the "JUM NAKAO x Asayo Tae Exhibition," took time out of his busy schedule to give a special lecture at Bunka Fashion College, a gathering place for aspiring creative students. Afterward, he shared his thoughts on his own creations and Asayo Tae's work.

■Designs are made from the visible and the invisible

--The theme of your earlier lecture (a special lecture for students at Bunka Fashion College) was "The visible and the invisible in the design process." Why did you choose this theme?

JUM NAKAO: This is something that applies to my own creations, but what I wanted to tell the students at Bunka Fashion College was that design doesn't just mean creating a visible form (a work of art). I wanted to convey that design is about taking into account the invisible as well, the emotions such as the joy and hardships that went into creating it, and the countless memories that served as inspiration. Those words reminded me of JUM NAKAO's fashion show "A Costra de Invisivel" ('04), which was described as one of the most noteworthy works of the century by an international curator at the Museum of Paris. While admiring the delicate and beautiful paper dresses, the models suddenly ripped them apart in a shocking turn of events! It was a deeply memorable performance, as the piece, which took 150 staff members 700 hours to create, was instantly reduced to pieces of paper. JUM NAKAO: The performance was intended to convey the message that "fashion exists far beyond the material world, and expresses its invisible bonds." The most important thing about a performance is the message it is trying to convey. By ripping the delicate and elegant paper dresses in one go, the short seven-minute show became an unforgettable, everlasting experience for the audience. And, unexpectedly, many spectators flocked to the runway in search of the pieces of the dress.

--The people who gathered to get these simple pieces of paper are reminded of the beautiful dress every time they look at them... I feel that JUM NAKAO's message has been conveyed clearly. You also transform any material, such as paper, plastic, or garbage bags, into artwork. Please tell us your thoughts on the relationship between your work and the material.

JUM NAKAO: As I said earlier, the message is important. I first decide what I want to communicate, and then choose the material from there. Of course, clients sometimes ask me to use a certain material or element in a project. In those cases, I build the form and story based on the essence of the project. This is also the case with the "JUM NAKAO x Asayo Tae Exhibition."

To be continued in part two.