When Carlos Rolon was growing up in West Chicago in the 1970s, his mother had the entrepreneurial savvy to set up a bootleg beauty salon in the family's TV room. Needless to say, the nail business boomed on their plush leather arm chairs and the young Rolon, now a contemporary artist working under the name Dzine, was a very willing voyeur. With those fond, crystal clear memories dancing in his head, Dzine (pronounced 'design', naturally) has spent the last several years documenting nail trends wherever he travels, from Europe and the Caribbean to Singapore and the US.
The fruits of his fascination have now found their way into his new book, 'Nailed', a photographic history of nail art that starts with the ancient Egyptians and ends up with the rhinestone-clawed Puerto Ricans in Miami beach. 'I couldn't believe that there wasn't any book that dealt with finger nails as an art form,' Dzine said at Miami's Standard Hotel where, during Art Basel Miami Beach, he re-created his parent's living room, complete with shaggy carpet, dusty wallpaper and two ton TV. Manicures were given out for free to celebrate his new book, but the pop up was mostly just to honour his mom, the best muse an artist could have asked for.
A spread from the book
Photographs by Kai Regan
The photographic history of nail art starts with the ancient Egyptians and ends up with the rhinestone clawed Puerto Ricans in Miami beach
Photograph by Kai Regan
The book is published by Standard Press and Damiani Editore
Photograph by Kai Regan
’I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t any book that dealt with finger nails as an art form,’ Dzine said at Miami’s Standard Hotel where, during Art Basel Miami Beach, he opened ’Imperial Nails’, a re-creation of the salon in his parent’s living room...
Photograph by Chris Mosier
... complete with dusty wallpaper, shaggy carpets and a two ton TV
Photograph by Chris Mosier
Manicures were given out for free to celebrate his new book, but the pop up was mostly just to honour his mom, the best muse an artist could have asked for
Photograph by Chris Mosier
-
‘Azzedine Alaïa - Thierry Mugler’: new Paris exhibition puts two fashion greats in conversation‘Azzedine Alaïa - Thierry Mugler’ at Fondation Azzedine Alaïa explores the affinity and friendship between two designers who redefined 1980s and 1990s fashion. Curator Olivier Saillard tells Wallpaper* about the unique show
-
Meditations on Can Lis: Ferm Living unveils designs inspired by Jørn Utzon’s Mallorcan homeFerm Living’s S/S 2025 collection of furniture and home accessories balances Danish rationality with the elemental textures of Mallorcan craft
-
Introducing Wallpaper* April 2025, the Global Interiors issueOpening the door to standout design, interiors and architecture across five continents, from homes to workspaces – find the April issue on newsstands now
