Make-up artist, performeuse et drag de la scène berlinoise.
James Merry, the artist behind Björk's stunning handcrafted masks and now silicone pieces, approached me over Instagram. It pretty much came out of the blue, but he must have noticed me and apparently she then saw one of my makeup [looks] and really felt it fit the concept of Utopia.
How was it working with her ?
It's a beautiful environment to be working in. I didn't know what to expect. I hadn't done many big productions or video shoots before. I think I only had painted one person in a "Hungry" face before her, so everything was a first. But I knew my skill-set and I knew I could handle most anything they might throw my way. Afterwards I was extremely relieved to find it to be such an inspiring and comfortable work space, and with every shoot I felt our vision align more and more.
What was Björk looking to achieve through Utopia ?
My part in Utopia was just creating one of the characters she had envisioned for part of the album — a very pure, raw creature, found on an island, untouched, unspoiled by anything. Björk saw all that in a concept of mine, so all there was to do was to adapt that to her, as well as James' specific ideas of it. We found a different way into it every time, which was very interesting.
How did you end up working with Bjork ? How was that experience ?
James Merry, the artist behind Björk's stunning handcrafted masks and now silicone pieces, approached me over Instagram. It pretty much came out of the blue, but he must have noticed me and apparently she then saw one of my makeup looks and really felt it fit the concept of Utopia.
I hadn't done many big productions or video shoots before. I think I only had painted one person in a "Hungry" face before her, so everything was a first. But I knew my skill-set and I knew I could handle most anything they might throw my way. Afterwards I was extremely relieved to find it to be such an inspiring and comfortable work space, and with every shoot I felt our vision align more and more.
James m'a contactée sur Instagram pour me demander si j'accepterais de peindre une de mes créations sur le visage de Björk. Ils m'ont invitée à Los Angeles, où ils étaient en tournée à l'époque, et nous avons fait quelques photos tests, qui ont été ensuite utilisées comme images de promotion de l'album.
(...) Elle me montrait tout le temps plein de choses pour m'inspirer et était très ouverte à de nouvelles idées. Tout a commencé par un maquillage floral que j'avais fait il y a longtemps et qui lui avait plu ; c'était l'un des plus beaux personnages de mon portfolio et elle cherchait un personnage romantique pour Utopia.
(...) Nous avons opté pour quelque chose de vif, d'organique, et de féminin : beaucoup de rouge, beaucoup de blush, et un maquillage prononcé pour les yeux. Parfois je décorais ses sourcils de cristaux Swarovski pour un effet floral, ou bien je lui faisais porter des bijoux de nez en forme de pétales.