Turning Japanese > Kanzashi

Kanzashi are traditional Japanese hair ornaments worn by geisha and by women participating in formal occasions such as tea ceremonies and weddings. These adornments range from combs to elongated hair picks and are often associated with ritual, performance, and feminine identity.

In this series, Wendy Maruyama transforms the intimate scale of the traditional kanzashi into monumental sculptural forms. The works range in size from 30 to 80 inches in height, while the taller pieces stand at 60 inches—the artist’s own height. Although not intended as literal self-portraits, the sculptures function as figurative presences, suggesting the body through scale, stance, and gesture.

All of the works are carved from and polychromed in Jelutong wood. Several incorporate collaged paper elements applied to the teeth or prongs, and the elongated forms are supported by wall-mounted steel bases. By enlarging these culturally specific adornments into commanding sculptural objects, Maruyama shifts them from decorative accessory to bodily surrogate, exploring themes of identity, femininity, cultural memory, and representation.