{"id":1390,"date":"2020-03-28T06:43:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T19:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=170554"},"modified":"2020-12-02T23:51:58","modified_gmt":"2020-12-02T23:51:58","slug":"kabuki-dreams","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/kabuki-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Kabuki Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

GRAZIA<\/em> talks to Kabuki, the artist behind some of the most iconic beauty moments in recent history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s not really any knowing what lies ahead. It\u2019s a new decade and there\u2019s a new mood. New thought patterns, new waves of expression, new guards and new norms. Beauty is one such industry that\u2019s driven by this newness, be it behaviors, technology, consumer habits, or trends.<\/p>\n

Over the past ten years, beauty has been picked apart and stitched back together, emerging a more democratic, transparent and innovative version of itself. Some will say there\u2019s still work to be done (and they would be right), but there\u2019s no doubt the industry as it exists is in a constant state of flux. It ebbs and flows, peaks and troughs. But the one constant in all the chaos is a bold, unwavering, intrepid force of creativity. Society often codifies beauty as superfluous or vapid, but when you get to the crux of it, it\u2019s a platform for art, for expression and for creation.<\/p>\n

When it comes to dissecting this creativity, it\u2019s only through the far-reaching lens of certain visionaries that we might get a glimpse into the other side, both behind the scenes and beyond the present moment. Here, GRAZIA<\/em> explores future beauty through the eyes of one of the best: makeup artist and creative extraordinaire Kabuki<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A custom face chart by Kabuki for GRAZIA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

products used: <\/em>MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation, Cream Color Base in Luna, Studio Fix Sculpt and Shape Contour Palette, Hyper Real Glow Palette in Get It Glowin, Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Whisper of Gilt, Glitter in Gold, Lip Pencil in Chestnut and Oak, Frost Lipstick in Gel, Pro Lip Palette in Modern Browns and Bronzing Powder in Golden.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kabuki has been redefining what it means to use makeup for upwards of 30 years. Well-versed in the game of glamour and glory, he started as a club kid in New York City, where his sartorial idiosyncrasies and gilded performance artist alter ego Kabuki Starshine (true story) caught the eyes of important fashion people. One thing led to another (including a rendezvous walking Mugler\u2019s iconic Fall 1995 Couture runway), eventually seeing Patricia Field bring Kabuki on set to workshop looks on an early Sex and the City<\/em>. Carrie\u2019s slightly overdone, I-just-ran-seven-blocks-in-Manolos blush that became synonymous with late 90s style was his doing, and from there, the iconic moments continued to transpire.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to express visual ideas on a human canvas,\u201d Kabuki told GRAZIA<\/em> in New York City. \u201cI\u2019m very lucky that I have a lot of creative freedom.\u201d But Bradshaw\u2019s beginnings were the prelude for a rolodex of beauty looks that both impress and excite: geometric shapes, bold color and artistic flair that sits somewhere between Botticelli and Andy Warhol are all part of the Kabuki calling card. His work spans editorial shoots to magazine covers, beauty campaigns to viral celebrity moments. He transformed Katy Perry to a celestial space starlet using silk screens and airbrushed pigment for her \u201cE.T.\u201d music video, worked on Michael Jackson for the cover of L\u2019Uomo Vogue<\/em> (a set of portraits that would become one of his last; he asked Kabuki for candy on set), and gave Rihanna a dystopian blue forehead on the cover of W Magazine<\/em> in 2014. Some of his early work \u2013 makeup on 90s gritty docudrama Party Monster<\/em> \u2013 is still referenced as an incredibly creative, poignant way to add emotion to film through beauty. Kabuki painted leading actor Macaulay Culkin in a rainbow of eye shadow hues and dejected tears constructed from glitter \u2013 an interesting way of communicating the downward-trajectory of a drug-fueled party king.<\/p>\n

Of course, Kabuki is lauded for his makeup direction on various fashion week shows, known for his intricate brushwork, fantastical color, textural details and story-led creation. Backstage at The Blonds Fall 2020 show in NYC, Kabuki waxed lyrical about not just product and technique but story and creative flair. \u201cThe inspiration is a rococo version of heaven. I wanted layers and layers of gold\u2026 a lot of makeup that still felt light,\u201d he says. \u201cAlmost like a ballerina. I wanted beautiful theater makeup.\u201d The resulting look was a feather-light, angelic gold wing that arched from inner corner to temple. Skin was glistening and cherub-like, an amazing display of what beauty means in the context of fashion weeks.<\/p>\n

For Kabuki, 30 years of artistic savoir-faire is not so much calculated as it is intrinsic. \u201cI just get on with it. Each situation is different, but a lot of the time makeup has to support fashion,\u201d he says. \u201cSo, I\u2019ll try out ideas that I hope will bring a cohesive feeling.\u201d But modesty aside, it\u2019s no secret that Kabuki\u2019s work often is the showpiece, be it on the face of a supermodel or the face of a mega pop star. \u201cWhen it comes to beauty for beauty\u2019s sake, I like to just go for it and have a lot of fun. When I\u2019m sitting in my creativity, I dive in, test ideas and come up with new ones as I\u2019m going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Time spent in the industry means Kabuki has seen and lived through various changes, including the rise and rise of social media. When asked how he feels it affects his work, Kabuki decided it doesn\u2019t affect it directly, but rather the way it\u2019s received. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s had much of an impact on how I work at all,\u201d he admits. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly had an impact on how my work is seen. Instagram has definitely given a lot of young talented artists a forum.\u201d It\u2019s a different time now, where it\u2019s not just magazines and editors who decide the hierarchy in fashion and beauty.<\/p>\n

As far as future gazing, Kabuki stands firm on the notion that creativity will remain a constant. \u201cPeople will continue to want to look beautiful and to view beautiful creative images,\u201d he says. \u201cToday, as opposed to 10 years ago, it almost feels to me like the creative possibilities are endless.\u201d This has something to do with the wider reach of the industry at large, finally working towards a more diverse, inclusive, expressive place. Speaking from experience, Kabuki explains that there \u201cwasn\u2019t the same amount of diversity and individuality ten years ago.\u201d When asked what confuses even him about what\u2019s to come, he ponders how makeup, beauty and images will be presented. \u201cTo me, that is literally a mystery.\u201d It\u2019s a fair musing from the person that started in an industry where mobile phones were for the rich and hardly fit into your back pocket. Now, they largely dictate the industry \u2013 even Kabuki snaps a photo of his work on The Blonds to share on his channel, @kabukinyc. But ever the purist, he just wants his brushes, his pigment, and free rein to run wild.<\/p>\n

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