Christopher Kane is set to make his artistic debut in Austria later this month with Curated by Christopher Kane at Galerie Gugging.

The fittingly titled exhibition makes explicit reference to the designer’s life-long affinity to Outsider Art, a continued source of inspiration that has guided collection upon collection since he burst on the scene in the late 00s. “There’s a spontaneity to Art Brut or Outsider Art – that feeling of a skill or expression that just seems to come from nowhere,” the designer shares of the exhibition’s purpose, which has been curated – alongside sister Tammy – from Kane’s own portfolio, as well as the galleries’ extensive archive.

But Kane’s first brush with Galerie Gugging came several years before the forthcoming show, spurred on by a chance sighting of Johann Hauser’s Woman in a Yellow Dress in 2016. The flat model and her pleated get-up bore a striking similarity to the lurid-preppiness of Kane’s SS11 show, Princess Margaret On Acid, leading the designer down a deep rabbit hole as to its origins. This search ended at the aforementioned Austrian art space directed by Nina Katschnig, and that year, Kane exhibited a plethora of works by its artists at his flagship store in London on the opening night of Frieze London, even utilising the gallery’s grounds, which includes a public viewing space, studio, and surrounding countryside idyll as the backdrop for his Pre-Fall 2017 lookbook.

Whether it’s the sketches of Ionel Talpazan, the attention to detail of Scottie Wilson, or the aesthetic car crashes devised by John Chamberlain – artists who have all touched the designer’s spirit over the years – such a display of creativity is tantamount to the rawest of expression, work that doesn’t concede to movements, styles or hierarchies of the well-to-do art world, but instead cherishes the vital resourcefulness that comes from pursuing your passions. Some examples may be rudimentary, others totally outlandish, detailing fantasy worlds or the darkest corners of the artist’s inner-psyche. In Kane’s case, his selection packs just as much colourful punch as his raucous runway fashions, boasting bright and ornate patterns and a mish-mash of textured forms.

Curated by Christopher Kane runs from June 22nd — October 9th 2022 at Dominikanerbastei 10, 1010 Vienna