A research collaboration with artist Kazu Hiro :

The special make-up effects artist Kazu Hiro became the first Japanese ever to win the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hair Styling. His creativity and technical abilities have taken him to the top of his profession in Hollywood, where he has long been based. Recently he has shifted his focus to fine art sculptures, using his skills to create larger-than-life, ultra-realistic faces.
A hallmark feature of Kazu Hiro's facial sculptures is his method for reproducing intricate traits such as the redness of the capillaries and tiny wrinkles using a technique to recreate skin exactly as it appears to the naked eye. Anyone who sees a Kazu Hiro sculpture wonders how he so faithfully reproduces the translucence, colors, and textures of actual skin. Part of his skill comes from his acute sensitivity. Researchers at Kao believe that his talents can bring new perspective into their work in skin science.
The faces that Kazu Hiro 's creates strike the viewer with a sense that they are seeing a true-to-life likeness with a life force that tangibly breathes in the air. To bring across a person's character, emotions, aspirations, and other pieces that make up the distinctive attractiveness that is hers alone, Kazu Hiro considers the past history and experience of a subject when he sculpts one.
In its joint research with Kazu Hiro, Kao researchers hope to learn how he projects a person's presence as a sculptor. They are searching for the features of a piece that will linger in people's minds and how those features integrate into the holistic form of a face depicted to the finest detail. This collaboration will provide an opportunity for valuable research that will move beyond the mere concealment of blemishes toward an understanding of what expresses individuality in a face.

By scientifically analyzing Kazu Hiro's creative process as a sculptor, Kao hopes to build up a fund of knowledge and experience for creating faces with an individual presence.
On one level, Kao's researchers will apply principles of dermatology, optics, and color science to search for the key physical features that make skin appear real. On a second level, they will use principles of psychology, brain science, and facial science to discover how a person expresses her inner nature. The ultimate goal is to develop a process to convey a new sense of beauty that eludes the influences of age and preconceptions. The findings from this joint research will empower Kao to help realize a society where the individuality of every woman stands out.

The mission of the Kao group is to realize rich cultural backdrops to everyday life and contribute to social sustainability. As an innovator, Kao underpins its mission by conducting basic research in a wide range of fields from the dual perspectives of people and things.
The main aim of the Sensory Science Laboratories is to study the human senses and emotions through science. This joint research will provide the opportunity to accelerate basic research through the fusion of different disciplines and enhance the sensibility brought to bear on Kao's ever-evolving research into the development of innovative products.