Jaime Hayon’s world is whimsical and fantastical – and for the first time, Hongkongers can step inside his imagination and creative process as he launches his first solo show in Hong Kong. Entitled The Cosmos of Jaime Hayon, the show opened on 20 September 2018 and runs until 17 October, giving visitors to Harbour City a glimpse into the Spanish designer and artist’s creative genius. It’s a two-part exhibition, made up of giant sculptures outside and a selection of paintings, prints and smaller sculptures inside.

Vibrant colour, kaleidoscopic patterns, dynamic forms and fantastical creatures dominate this solo exhibition. Part one consists of several ‘Archisculptures’ – the Cirquepinodrome, the Duckodome and the Rabbitdoubledome, along with smaller creatures that are more human-sized – all situated directly in front of Ocean Terminal. These pieces are designed to be interactive, with periscopes, slides and seesaws making this a playful experience for children and adults alike.

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“I never take myself too seriously,” says Jaime Hayon – a point evident at The Cosmos of Jaime Hayon.

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“I never did fibreglass this size, ever. It’s completely new for me,” says Hayon, speaking at a talk he gave at the Pacific Club on 19 September. “I couldn’t make them this big if I’d done them my way, which maybe would have been with wood. So I said, let’s try it in fibreglass. And what’s next from there, I don’t know. It’s really exciting to constantly step into something new. It makes you alive.”

This sense of enthusiasm is something that Hayon seems to have been born with – in person, he’s always exuberant, bursting with energy, new ideas and fun. “I never take myself too seriously,” he says. These traits come through in the works on show at the Ocean Terminal Forecourt.

“I am interested in exploring the intersections of architecture, art installation, and interactive experience,” says Hayon. “I expect that people – of all ages – can also appreciate the ability to go beyond the form, because they can walk through and play with the sculptures. In this way, they can immerse themselves in a joyful environment, recalling a lively circus and faraway lands reached through voyages and adventure.”

Inside, at Gallery by the Harbour, Hayon’s world comes to life once more, but on a more human scale. In this compact gallery, there are ceramic vases and fantastical heads made in the workshops of Italo Bosa, some pieces with clear African tribal influences and others inspired by folklore from around the globe.

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“Today what influences me the most is going around the world and seeing folklore. I get really inspired by these folklore cultures.”
– Jaime Hayon

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Alongside the three-dimensional displays are a series of prints and paintings, with a distinctly Joan Miro feel to them, full of squiggles, splashes and curvilinear forms in contrasting black and brilliant colour. These works feel like they’re constantly in motion, demonstrating that dynamic, organic and liberated quality that Hayon’s works possess.

The only pity? That the exhibition isn’t bigger. The Cosmos of Jaime Hayon is something unique and exciting… a look at the out-of-box thinking and imagination that has established Hayon as one of the top designers of his generation. We would simply like to see more of it.