Installation shot of Disobedient Bodies: JW Anderson curates The Hepworth Wakefield. Photo: Lewis Ronald. Courtesy The Hepworth Wakefield.

When it comes to art, British fashion designer JW Anderson surely knows how to treat clothes as his canvas. Known for his unconventional approach to treating silhouettes, Anderson’s understanding of fashion is purely interdisciplinary. His work has been inspired by the likes of creatives such as the legendary 1960s interior designer David Hicks, textile designer John Allen and American author Fran Leibowitz.

Extending his passion for art, Anderson recently curated an exhibition titled “Disobedient Bodies” at The Hepworth Wakefield Gallery, Yorkshire, Britain. This one of a kind exhibit brings more than 100 objects spanning art, fashion, ceramics, and design under one roof.

“This is a rare and exciting opportunity for me to bring together pieces of art and fashion that have long inspired my own creative work and to see what happens when these objects rub up against each other”, Anderson said while speaking about the exhibit.

Wakefield Kids. Photography Jamie Hawkesworth, courtesy of JW Anderson.

He was inspired by the early works of Barbara Hepworth, the British sculptor and Henry Moore, the celebrated British artist known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures. Both the creatives reimagined human bodies in radically new ways and this laid the foundation for Anderson’s ‘‘Disobedient Bodies’.

The exhibit which runs through 18th June, 2017 showcases sculptures by artists such as Jean Arp, Louise Bourgeois, Lynn Chadwick, Naum Gabo, Alberto Giacometti, Barbara Hepworth, Sarah Lucas, Henry Moore, Magali Reus and Dorothea Tanning and fashion pieces by designers such as Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garçons, Helmut Lang, Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood.

Henry Moore, Reclining Figure, 1936. The Hepworth Wakefield (Wakefield Permanent Art Collection). Courtesy The Hepworth Wakefield. Photo: Stuart Whipps

For Anderson who creates 12 collections a year, six for his eponymous label in London and six for Loewe ( Spanish luxury fashion house, owned by LVMH group) fashion has always been about contextually relevant pieces and this exhibition sums up his inspirations. “ I want the exhibition to mirror the speed and unexpected encounters that characterize the way in which we consume images today, as well as being a space in which to explore ideas of gender and identity that have been an ongoing part of my creative practice,” he adds.

The center of the exhibition is an installation comprising oversized jumpers created by Anderson. Space allows visitors to transform their own bodies into abstract forms.