Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses, an exhibition celebrating one of the most forward-thinking fashion designers of her generation, marked its North American debut at the Brooklyn Museum on May 16, 2026. Van Herpen's designs draw on microorganismic biochemistry, fractal geometry, fluid dynamics, and neuroscience to create sculptural gowns that explore the human body's relationship with the larger world.
Sculpting the Senses features more than 140 haute couture creations from the designer displayed alongside contemporary artworks, scientific archifacts, and specimens of natural history. For the Brooklyn Museum show, Van Herpen hand-selected works from the museum's permanent collection to place in dialogue with her designs. Among the works she chose are Katsumata Chieko's (b. 1950) Biomorphic Sculpture and Fujikasa Satoko's (b. 1980) Downdraft.
The exhibition is an absolute feast for the senses, and it is a joy to see the work of Katsumata and Fujikasa shine!
For more information, visit the Brooklyn Museum's website! The exhibition is open May 16–December 6, 2026.
