NEWS - MIZUNO KIZUNA PACK NOH MASKS BY LIZER VAN HATTEM

Mizuno is back with another Kizuna pack. And we're presenting something extra.

Noh masks play a big role in Japanese theater, with the themes of these masks varying between dreams, extra-terrestrial worlds, spirits, ghosts, and so forth. The Kizuna pack consists of three pairs, with each of them having a different symbol on the back representing a different mask of this art form.

For this special release, we asked Lizer van Hattem, someone who you might already recognize from previous collaborations, to create small versions of these said masks, which all have different designs. We visited Lizer's studio to take a look into his process and mentality behind the project.

What was your initial reaction when you heard about this project?

I was most of all very excited to get my hands into some clay again! I hadn't used it in a long while and was ready to make some new stuff.

Do you enjoy working with clay a lot?

It's not my preferred medium, but it is a nice change from the usual tattoo work, which mostly relies on clean and nearly perfect results.

What was your first source of inspiration when you started making the masks?

I was already familiar with Noh masks, as they are an often occurring subject in tattooing, as well.

For this project, I went straight to the source and did research into the traditional designs of the masks.

Which mask of the three is your favorite?

My favorite is the Tengu (red) one.

I love working with bright reds and I just love the design of this one, with the big red nose.

Tell us about the process, did you go in head first or plan the designs out beforehand?

Just like with my tattoo work, I just jump straight ahead in the creative process and try to see where it takes me. Now, however, I had actual reference points that I had to stay loyal to, so from the start, I already had some kind of image in my head that I wanted to match. These masks are an 'ode to' of sorts so I didn't want to stray too much from the original.

Because we're talking about more than just three masks in total, I did have to do more planning and preparations than I normally would. Think of preparing the clay for molding, making the actual molds, getting the paints ready, and so forth...

It was a real challenge.

Do the end results match the original vision you had?

I am pretty happy with the end results. Once again, like with my tattoo work, I don't tend to have a whole image done in my head already. So I enjoyed getting to see the masks come alive.