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A tattoo machine, a microphone, a laser, and a pH-sensing tool – what might seem like the eclectic contents of a south London SET studio are, in fact, the latest nail art innovations from Dazed 100-er Viviane Lee (Cyshimi) and Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted). During their residency at the Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University, the duo created a series of functional nail art, challenging the traditional role of nail art and expanding its potential as a space for technological exploration.
With projects including the ”Memory Nail,” which features a tattoo machine embedded in the nail to merge body modification with digital fabrication, and the ”Gossip Nail,” combining a microphone within the nail and a speaker in a ring for discreet communication, these pieces explore how technology can interact with the human body in new and expressive ways.
The Hybrid Body Lab, led by Professor Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, is dedicated to wearable technology that integrates with the body’s surface. In this project, Cyshimi and Occulted combine their Occulted’s expertise in abstract sculpture and typography with Cyshimi’s universe of nail art and biomimetics to create functional and tech-infused wearable designs. Check out the innovations below, alongside an interview with the creative duo.
The Memory Nail is a nail tattoo machine, complete with a motor and a needle with a 3D cover.
Tell us about the process of creating the Memory Nail?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): The ‘Memory Nail’ project (the nail tattoo machine) was the first one we started, so it was also our first time ever printing. We knew we needed a motor and a needle to be able to tattoo, but it took some time to figure out the ideal mini motor that could fit into a small space like the nail bed and still have enough strength to perforate the skin. Once we ordered and tested that motor, we could only then design and 3D model the nail cover based on the ideal motor measurements.
Were the projects intended to be more conceptual or functional?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): We discussed a lot to understand and choose each project. We feel they all serve for its purpose, they are all fictional but functional in some way, some can be used daily or for a special occasion, for a performance or for just to hang out, others can be another way to rethink something we already have a formal way to do, like an observation of the present but materialised as performative objects imbued with the union of our visions.
How did your individual expertise complement one another in these projects?
Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted): I believe Cyshimi’s ability to stay organised and multitask, combined with insights I would have never considered, played a crucial role in shaping our ideas and making them a reality. From the beginning, our goal was to merge our research, bringing together my work with 3D, from world-building to abstractional sculptures and typographies, with Cyshimi’s artistic universe, which blends nail art, biomimetics, and a distinctive, contemporary approach to fashion applied to nails.
The Gossip Nail is a microphone nail, complete with a speaker ring.
Tell us about the process of creating the Gossip Nail?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): The ‘Gossip Nail’ project (a microphone nail and a speaker ring). We had to print 12 nails before we got to one perfect one. A lot of flaws can happen when printing: it could be your file, the design measurements, an issue with the printer, or something in the post-process when you’re cutting off the supports. The cool thing is that we then started using the flawed prints to test color compositions. It was a nice way of reutilising what would otherwise be thrown away.
Were there any specific technologies or bodies of work that influenced your creative processes?
Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted): I’ve always been fascinated by sensors – the idea that you can detect data and transform it into triggers for further actions. In my work, I often explore points of extremity, deconstructing or revealing their connections, so during the residency, I feel that I was able to experiment extensively with this concept.
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): The artist and performer Rebecca Horn, specifically how she explores the tension between freedom and restriction in her body extension works, such as Finger Gloves (1972). Also, the holders of the longest nails in Guinness World Records directly inspired the Xtreme Long Ph Sensing Nails project.
When you think about technology, you may think about machines and something very digital, but the idea of a hybrid body is about the merging of something synthetic with the natural. The whole idea of the winners of the longest nails seems very synthetic to me. Although their nails are natural, maintaining them at that extreme length requires a plan and very specific care, not to mention the lifestyle change, as if their nails were an extra body or an organ. I get inspired by the fact that they choose to make their lives harder in order to express themselves.
Extreme long nails that change its colour with different Phs, from pink (acid) to blue (alkaline).
How does rethinking the body as a technological medium open new creative possibilities for you?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): I believe everything has technology in a way – even if it’s fully manual, it requires techniques. My work is not only about nails aesthetically but also about reimagining the body. The nail sculptures are something synthetic tied to a natural body; not only that, they’re tied to the hands – one of the body’s biggest tools. With these nail sculptures, you’re, in a way, hindering the functionality of the body. You’re purposely undermining a part of your body in order to express yourself, which is an idea that I really like, and it’s very synthetic in that sense. With that in mind, I feel like digging deeper into the idea of synthetic and cyborg bodies, incorporating technologies into my creations, is a way to once again push the boundaries of nails, wearables, beauty, and the body.
Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted): I began my artistic journey years ago as a tattoo artist, and the act of imagining and attaching designs to the body always felt like a form of technology to me. I’ve always seen the body as an extension of art, so incorporating technology into that relationship feels like a natural evolution. Now, after the residency, I can envision a much clearer intersection for these ideas in my future projects.
Nail art has become increasingly experimental in recent years. Do you see your work as a natural progression for this art form?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): Nail art has definitely evolved into a very experimental and expressive medium, and I do see my work as a natural progression of this. My work is heavily influenced by fashion, and my designs also influence the contemporary in many aspects. It’s a new vision for this part of the body, which, for the first time, the world is focusing that much on. This changes our perspective on beauty, fashion, contemporary art, and the body as a whole.
Lasers are attached to this sculptural nail set that creates the longest nails as far as laser lights can reach.
Project Credits: Artists: Viviane Lee (Cyshimi) and Ikaro Cavalcante (Hybrid Body Lab @hybridbodylab 2024 Artist-in-Residence) Researchers in collaboration: Jingwen Zhu, Pin-Sung Ku, Arden Van Hollebeke, Samantha Chang, Megan Wu, Prof. Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao (Lab Director). Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University
Photo Credits: Photographers: Margaret Tsai, Ikaro Cavalcante, Models: Ikaro Cavalcante, Viviane Lee (Cyshimi), Meghana, Praveen, Kitty Zhang, Jaden Jaynes Demarest
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A tattoo machine, a microphone, a laser, and a pH-sensing tool – what might seem like the eclectic contents of a south London SET studio are, in fact, the latest nail art innovations from Dazed 100-er Viviane Lee (Cyshimi) and Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted). During their residency at the Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University, the duo created a series of functional nail art, challenging the traditional role of nail art and expanding its potential as a space for technological exploration.
With projects including the ”Memory Nail,” which features a tattoo machine embedded in the nail to merge body modification with digital fabrication, and the ”Gossip Nail,” combining a microphone within the nail and a speaker in a ring for discreet communication, these pieces explore how technology can interact with the human body in new and expressive ways.
The Hybrid Body Lab, led by Professor Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, is dedicated to wearable technology that integrates with the body’s surface. In this project, Cyshimi and Occulted combine their Occulted’s expertise in abstract sculpture and typography with Cyshimi’s universe of nail art and biomimetics to create functional and tech-infused wearable designs. Check out the innovations below, alongside an interview with the creative duo.
The Memory Nail is a nail tattoo machine, complete with a motor and a needle with a 3D cover.
Tell us about the process of creating the Memory Nail?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): The ‘Memory Nail’ project (the nail tattoo machine) was the first one we started, so it was also our first time ever printing. We knew we needed a motor and a needle to be able to tattoo, but it took some time to figure out the ideal mini motor that could fit into a small space like the nail bed and still have enough strength to perforate the skin. Once we ordered and tested that motor, we could only then design and 3D model the nail cover based on the ideal motor measurements.
Were the projects intended to be more conceptual or functional?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): We discussed a lot to understand and choose each project. We feel they all serve for its purpose, they are all fictional but functional in some way, some can be used daily or for a special occasion, for a performance or for just to hang out, others can be another way to rethink something we already have a formal way to do, like an observation of the present but materialised as performative objects imbued with the union of our visions.
How did your individual expertise complement one another in these projects?
Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted): I believe Cyshimi’s ability to stay organised and multitask, combined with insights I would have never considered, played a crucial role in shaping our ideas and making them a reality. From the beginning, our goal was to merge our research, bringing together my work with 3D, from world-building to abstractional sculptures and typographies, with Cyshimi’s artistic universe, which blends nail art, biomimetics, and a distinctive, contemporary approach to fashion applied to nails.
The Gossip Nail is a microphone nail, complete with a speaker ring.
Tell us about the process of creating the Gossip Nail?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): The ‘Gossip Nail’ project (a microphone nail and a speaker ring). We had to print 12 nails before we got to one perfect one. A lot of flaws can happen when printing: it could be your file, the design measurements, an issue with the printer, or something in the post-process when you’re cutting off the supports. The cool thing is that we then started using the flawed prints to test color compositions. It was a nice way of reutilising what would otherwise be thrown away.
Were there any specific technologies or bodies of work that influenced your creative processes?
Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted): I’ve always been fascinated by sensors – the idea that you can detect data and transform it into triggers for further actions. In my work, I often explore points of extremity, deconstructing or revealing their connections, so during the residency, I feel that I was able to experiment extensively with this concept.
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): The artist and performer Rebecca Horn, specifically how she explores the tension between freedom and restriction in her body extension works, such as Finger Gloves (1972). Also, the holders of the longest nails in Guinness World Records directly inspired the Xtreme Long Ph Sensing Nails project.
When you think about technology, you may think about machines and something very digital, but the idea of a hybrid body is about the merging of something synthetic with the natural. The whole idea of the winners of the longest nails seems very synthetic to me. Although their nails are natural, maintaining them at that extreme length requires a plan and very specific care, not to mention the lifestyle change, as if their nails were an extra body or an organ. I get inspired by the fact that they choose to make their lives harder in order to express themselves.
Extreme long nails that change its colour with different Phs, from pink (acid) to blue (alkaline).
How does rethinking the body as a technological medium open new creative possibilities for you?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): I believe everything has technology in a way – even if it’s fully manual, it requires techniques. My work is not only about nails aesthetically but also about reimagining the body. The nail sculptures are something synthetic tied to a natural body; not only that, they’re tied to the hands – one of the body’s biggest tools. With these nail sculptures, you’re, in a way, hindering the functionality of the body. You’re purposely undermining a part of your body in order to express yourself, which is an idea that I really like, and it’s very synthetic in that sense. With that in mind, I feel like digging deeper into the idea of synthetic and cyborg bodies, incorporating technologies into my creations, is a way to once again push the boundaries of nails, wearables, beauty, and the body.
Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted): I began my artistic journey years ago as a tattoo artist, and the act of imagining and attaching designs to the body always felt like a form of technology to me. I’ve always seen the body as an extension of art, so incorporating technology into that relationship feels like a natural evolution. Now, after the residency, I can envision a much clearer intersection for these ideas in my future projects.
Nail art has become increasingly experimental in recent years. Do you see your work as a natural progression for this art form?
Viviane Lee (Cyshimi): Nail art has definitely evolved into a very experimental and expressive medium, and I do see my work as a natural progression of this. My work is heavily influenced by fashion, and my designs also influence the contemporary in many aspects. It’s a new vision for this part of the body, which, for the first time, the world is focusing that much on. This changes our perspective on beauty, fashion, contemporary art, and the body as a whole.
Lasers are attached to this sculptural nail set that creates the longest nails as far as laser lights can reach.
Project Credits: Artists: Viviane Lee (Cyshimi) and Ikaro Cavalcante (Hybrid Body Lab @hybridbodylab 2024 Artist-in-Residence) Researchers in collaboration: Jingwen Zhu, Pin-Sung Ku, Arden Van Hollebeke, Samantha Chang, Megan Wu, Prof. Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao (Lab Director). Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University
Photo Credits: Photographers: Margaret Tsai, Ikaro Cavalcante, Models: Ikaro Cavalcante, Viviane Lee (Cyshimi), Meghana, Praveen, Kitty Zhang, Jaden Jaynes Demarest
and integrate them seamlessly into the new content without adding new tags. Ensure the new content is fashion-related, written entirely in Japanese, and approximately 1500 words. Conclude with a “結論” section and a well-formatted “よくある質問” section. Avoid including an introduction or a note explaining the process.
