Issa Samb & the Geometry of Nothingness.
For the Spring/Summer 2023 collection, Engineered Garments designer Daiki Suzuki and artist Manabu Gaku Inada converged their visions to explore the multidisciplinary world of the late Senegalese artist Issa Samb. Their dialogue began with an immersion into Samb’s paintings, sculptures, and avant-garde style, leading to a profound exploration of his creative philosophy.
For the Spring/Summer 2023 collection, Engineered Garments designer Daiki Suzuki and artist Manabu Gaku Inada converged their visions to explore the multidisciplinary world of the late Senegalese artist Issa Samb. Their dialogue began with an immersion into Samb’s paintings, sculptures, and avant-garde style, leading to a profound exploration of his creative philosophy.
Inspired by Samb’s legendary courtyard studio in downtown Dakar—a living installation of mixed-media and found objects—Gaku developed the "Twig and Wood" pattern. This motif captures the organic chaos and spiritual resonance of the natural materials that filled Samb’s workspace.
In stark contrast, the "Nothingness" graphic, rendered in phonetic symbols, serves as a meditative response to our modern era of information overload. Drawing a parallel between Samb’s philosophy and the Zen concept of Mu (Nothingness), the artwork represents the pinnacle of spiritual enlightenment—a call for stillness amidst the turbulence of the digital age.
Article on Nepenthes, New York Official site:
Deep Dive - Engineered Garments SS23 Graphics
Brand: Nepenthes America, Engineered Garments
Artist: Manabu Gaku Inada
Year: 2023
In stark contrast, the "Nothingness" graphic, rendered in phonetic symbols, serves as a meditative response to our modern era of information overload. Drawing a parallel between Samb’s philosophy and the Zen concept of Mu (Nothingness), the artwork represents the pinnacle of spiritual enlightenment—a call for stillness amidst the turbulence of the digital age.
Article on Nepenthes, New York Official site:
Deep Dive - Engineered Garments SS23 Graphics
Brand: Nepenthes America, Engineered Garments
Artist: Manabu Gaku Inada
Year: 2023
These vibrant T-shirts feature African-inspired geometric motifs on the back, seamlessly merging ancestral patterns with a contemporary digital aesthetic. By utilizing traditional printmaking techniques to develop these graphics, Gaku honors historical craftsmanship while presenting the concept through a modern, conceptual lens.
The silhouette of a caped wanderer—part ancient, part modern—defines the sleeve, while "La Fin des Illusions" marks the chest. This deliberate collision of text and art lends a surrealist wit to the garment, proving that in Gaku’s world, the most profound stories are found in the contradictions.
An exploration of texture and typography: the "Wood Grain" print acts as a natural canvas for a sophisticated stylistic hybrid. Drawing from African and Southeast Asian aesthetics and infused with punk-inspired subversion, the design challenges conventional symmetry. The phrase "Where, Why, and When" is deliberately arranged in an uneven, fragmented layout, transforming a simple question into a compelling graphic rhythm.
This graphic explores the beauty of "organized chaos" through a distorted, patchwork-inspired layout. Utilizing collage techniques to mix and match traditional motifs from across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, the design breaks away from conventional symmetry. The result is a rhythmic visual experience where primitive patterns and modern shapes collide, echoing the complex, multi-layered identity of contemporary street style.
The genesis of the collection: raw sketches from Gaku’s private sketchbook. This original artwork traces the evolution of the "Caped Wanderer," where early fountain pen strokes meet the intricate detail of a nib pen. To capture the delicate soul of Eastern European floral embroidery, Gaku utilized a pencil, meticulously recreating the fine, tactile threads of the traditional craft. These sketches offer a rare glimpse into the manual labor and technical precision that define the collection’s visual identity.
The logotype for "Nothingness" was rendered in phonetic symbols, bridging sound and silence. To capture the concept's ephemeral nature, the typography was printed and then re-photographed through a macro lens. This analog intervention created deliberate blurring—an "imperfect" image that reflects the hazy boundary between existence and the void.
This artwork depicts a labyrinth of branches intertwined into a complex, three-dimensional tapestry. Amid the thicket of chaotic lines, a rhythmic, organic pulse emerges—a testament to nature’s ability to find harmony in disorder. It is a visual exploration of "ordered chaos," in which the forest’s wild unpredictability is distilled into a single, hauntingly beautiful pattern.
Beyond the Horizon: An Assemblage of Culture and Thought
SS23 represents a pivotal chapter in the ongoing collaboration between Daiki Suzuki and Manabu Gaku Inada. By deconstructing global motifs and rebuilding them through traditional printmaking and analog lenses, we aimed to create a visual language that transcends geography and time. We invite you to experience this assemblage of culture and thought—a collection that finds its ultimate meaning only when worn and carried into the streets.
SS23 represents a pivotal chapter in the ongoing collaboration between Daiki Suzuki and Manabu Gaku Inada. By deconstructing global motifs and rebuilding them through traditional printmaking and analog lenses, we aimed to create a visual language that transcends geography and time. We invite you to experience this assemblage of culture and thought—a collection that finds its ultimate meaning only when worn and carried into the streets.
