Kawajiri started her career in the mecca of maximalism: Tokyo’s Harajuku neighbourhood, which has been home to the most eclectic fashion since the 1990s.

The neighbourhood spawned the Lolita, gyaru, B-gal, kawaii and decora aesthetics, among others, which were popularised worldwide through street fashion publications such as Fruits magazine, and which left a permanent footprint on Mei’s art.

“The Harajuku culture is part of me, growing up in Japan,” Kawajiri says. “Everything I create has a little bit of that style, I cannot avoid it. I recently recreated the Mona Lisa for a set of nails, and my version has a little bit of that cute style.”

Kawajiri opened her first nail salon in Harajuku in 2006 when she was only 23, two years after graduating from a beauty school in Osaka.

Called Foxxy, the shop specialised in “omakase nails”, meaning that Kawajiri would put her own finishing touches on a client’s nails. It was a great way to practise one of her now specialities: hand-painted, ultra-realistic images.

Kawajiri always knew she wanted to embrace her creativity professionally. Fortunately her family encouraged her in that direction, but it was her father, who “has always been very artistic”, who played a particular role in what she has become today.

“I remember he used to ask me if I could tell the difference between two paintings that had used different types of ink,” she says.

Talking about ink, Kawajiri debated for a long time whether she wanted to become a tattoo or nail artist. But her passion for experimentation won over the permanence of tattoos.

“I don’t like things to last forever, I get bored very quickly,” she says. “With nails, there are so many possibilities. I love using unconventional materials, and surprising myself with what I do next.”

Her fascinating style brought her to New York in 2012, where she decided to push the boundaries of commonly used techniques to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art.

“I moved from Tokyo to New York not knowing any English or having friends there. But many people stopped me on the street and asked me where I had gotten my nails done,” she says.

“I communicated via my own nails, and showed everyone what I could actually do, instead of talking about it. I started to make a name for myself and eventually caught the attention of key players in the industry.”

Only one year after her relocation, supermodel Heidi Klum became the first in a long list of celebrity clients.

Nowadays, celebrities including Dua Lipa, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Ariana Grande, Lily-Rose Depp, Naomi Watanabe, Cardi B, Rosalia, and Halsey all go to Kawajiri for her manicures.

High-fashion brands also rely on her: over the years, she has collaborated with Off-White, Moschino, Tom Ford, Versace, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Gucci, to name but a few, providing the perfect finishing touch for their outfits.

As a prominent voice for nail artists at the international level, she advocates for more respect for the profession.

“It takes so much patience and incredibly steady hands to create art on such a small canvas,” she says.

Doing one’s nails is a complex art, Kawajiri insists, particularly at runway shows.

“While many people think it is easy, I’d like for them to know that it is not, and can easily be the most intricate part of a whole beauty look.”

Kawajiri explains that at such shows, she and other manicurists have limited time to work on a few dozen models, while sharing the space with make-up artists and hairstylists.

On top of that, runway backstages are not always well lit, which turns her job into a very physical exercise.

“I am always running around, crouched on the floor, and having to use my abdominal muscles to hold up the model’s hand and keep their fingers steady for painting,” she says.

For photo shoots, Kawajiri prepares her pieces days ahead, following numerous conversations with the photography and styling teams.

“Some intricate hand-painted nail art can take up to six hours to do onsite. It is true art.”

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Despite the demands of her job, she refuses to let the fun out of her vision. Adorned with a dozen silver rings, doll charms, sculptural jewels and colourful hair, she continues to create nail art that is above all excessive and extravagant.

“Clothing and accessories are items already made and available … It shapes everyone to dress similarly and follow trends,” she explains.

“When you collaborate with a nail artist, you create something unique and one of a kind. I use it as a fashion tool to stand out.”