ROMAN
11th - 27th January 2025
‘Gold and Silver: a Pokémon Collection’
EXHIBITION
EXHIBITION
Translation is a process which typically pulls an idea from being obscured, into clarity. Roman’s ‘Gold and Silver: A Pokemon Collection.’ inverts that expectation.
The exhibition space is filled with playfully floating wigs, each directly based on a Pokemon. The cards are each transformed into a vibrant and charismatic hairpiece using dye, styling, and cut. Through the painterly methods of dressing the wigs, they maintain the playfulness and fantasy of the original cards, whilst losing the clear meaning and affiliation to a lore-filled cultural reference point.
Using the wigs as blank canvases for expression, Roman speaks to the history of self-expression and communication of identity through wigs, hair and costume. Simultaneously, he shifts into focus their drama as sculptural forms.
In keeping with the theatrical nature of the pieces, the positioning of wigs corresponds to the pokemon it was based on, creating a mise-en-scene out of the gallery. Flying pokemon are located higher up, ground based pokemon are eye level, and water based pokemon are ground level.
Roman invites us to wander around a 2D collection made sculptural. We can walk between his transmuted ideas as if entering a display case.
-writing by Ava Cowperthwaite
WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP
14.01.2025
Continuing to explore the theme of translation, Roman asked that all attendees bring along an image of something they would like to translate into their wig. This 2-hour workshop showed attendees how to interpret real life elements and the surreal into wearable art pieces.
Using the image you bring, Roman helped guide everyone in how to translate this image/object into a wig. This workshop not only showed you how to colour a wig in multiple methods but also how to adapt different colours, textures and apply to different canvases. Roman’s workshop helped attendees learn skills he used in the construction of the work in his show , alongside bringing them closer to the themes in his work.
OPENING NIGHT
OPENING NIGHT
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Roman has worked in the fashion industry as a hairstylist and wig maker for over 10 years, giving him the space to grow his art and find his unique aethestic.
incorperating styles and shapes from throughout history, he is influenced by everything from West African art to Anime, taking heavy inspiration from the 70s, 80s and 90s rock eras.
Roman aims to change how we see wigs : as more than just part of the traditional beauty industry. He wants to push boundaries with what is expected from hair, away from glamourous expectations to create new represenation. By brining his wig making practice into an exhibtion space - we are encouraged to look at these wigs not only as wearable objects but also as sculptural forms.
Roman’s work is largely inspired by contrasting colours and finding new ways to show a primary colour palette. All of his wigs are gender inclusive and he strongly beleives that gender alignment shouldn’t define anything we wear.