Celestial Eyes by Jiro Kamata

The development of contemporary jewelry has surpassed its role as mere decorative art and has become a unique carrier of a personal quest into micro-space and connections for emotions and culture. It stands as more than a wearable art piece; it is also a philosophical mindset that integrates material experimentation and the building of aesthetic experience through micro-space.

Light is both a scientific and mystical phenomenon. It becomes a primal human desire to “wear” light. This inspired Jiro Kamata, drawing inspiration from ESO (European Southern Observatory).
At ESO, he learned how they capture starlight from the universe and the information contained within it. The light, carrying long periods of time, elevated his understanding of light to a new level. In the Atacama Desert in Chile, he witnessed a sky filled with hundreds of millions of stars, sparking his interest in astronomy. In Rye, located in southeastern Australia, he observed the “curved horizon” of the Southern Ocean. The sun painted the vast sky with an amazing gradient from blue to orange, forming a beautiful arc. At that moment, Jiro clearly remembers a strange sensation that suddenly overcame him: it was the first time he physically felt that the Earth is a sphere. He realized that the sphere is a symbolic shape for astronomy. By cutting out a part of a sphere and creating overlapping spaces, the shape resembles an “eye.”

He began exploring the element of phosphorus, whose name comes from the Greek word Φωσφόρος, meaning “bearer of light.” To him, this is not only a scientific matter but also a connection between the cosmos, galaxies, and spheres.

Jiro Kamata, known for his miniature optical sculptures in contemporary jewelry, is skilled in using elements such as light and color refraction to create illusional visual experiences. His works take forms and shapes that evoke black holes, galaxies, myths, and even ancient symbols. In collaboration with ALIEN MODE for the project Celestial Eyes, he explores alternative materials and develops a variety of forms, focusing on sustainable design that enhances the synergy between culture and ecology.

Over the past thirty years, Jiro Kamata has disassembled and studied thousands of camera lenses from around the world and different eras, drawing inspiration to explore the civilized journey of light science. He discovered a special optical phenomenon—the Peltier effect—which causes spherical crystals to form when illuminated by light. This principle is similar to 3D holographic projection technology. To stabilize this effect, he created a ring-shaped structure that captures the most detailed expression of light. This design not only embodies the essence of light but also evokes the beauty of a sunrise. Viewed from the side, it resembles a small bean, condensing the power of light.

Jiro Kamata has been passionate about jewelry since childhood. This time, he realized his dream of creating his own gemstone. He named this original crystal “ALIEN” and engraved “Jiro Kamata x ALIEN” to commemorate this innovative milestone. For him, it is not just jewelry but a poetic journey about light, the universe, and philosophy.

“I see these works are closely related to the concept of ‘livingness,’ pieces that integrate with personal lifestyle,” said Jiro Kamata.


Opening hours: Tues - Sun 10 am - 6 pm.
Closed on Monday・Open on public holidays.



Organizer ｜ALIEN ART CENTRE
Curator｜Yaman Shao
Artist｜Jiro Kamata
Initiated by｜ALIEN MODE
Fashion｜APUJAN
Filming Artist｜Hailing Wang
Photographer｜Chen Yung Hua
Visual Interpretation｜Liu Hsin Yu
Performance Artist | Lala Sue
Academic Host｜Richard Chang
Space Development｜Hayato Mitzutani
Visual Design｜Elaine Tsai
Documentary｜Wanying Xie
Box Designer｜Julia Andratschke
Special Thanks to｜Min-Ling Hsieh, Mole Hsu, Hairstylist Artist - Weic Lin, Make Up Artist - Sunny Hsu