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MIWONDERFUL

PEOPLEText: Aya Shomura

There is a woman who has a title “Make Smile Artist”. With her strong thoughts “Make the whole world smile with makeup” and “Makeup provides entertainment”, she jumps over the pre-existed field of makeup-artist and explores her activity in Japan, Asia, Europe and U.S. She is Miwonderful. Carrying a pink flame, she holds “makeup tour” in various cities. Not only performance at the show, but she also publishes her first book “Make the World Smile by Makeup: MAKE SMILE TRIP@Miwonderful” in the end of June. She is going to organize 10th Thanks Giving Makeup event called “Makeup Restaurant” on July 2 and will release its DVD in the fall as well. We interviewed her about her thoughts and plans in the future on this turning point.

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Miwonderful, Photo: Akira Inoue

Firstly please introduce yourself.

I’ve been organizing “Makeup Tour” in the world and providing makeup to people. With original music, I perform singing and dancing. Providing makeup as an entertainment is one of the most important things I try. I’ve been traveling Los Angels, New York, Hawaii, Paris (Japan Expo), Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangkok, and Korea.

I always bring my original pink flame, show the performance on the street, and talk with people through Japanese style makeup! World is huge and there are bunch of kinds of cultures and customs. Fashion and the sense of “cute” are varied. Makeup is one of the communication tools there. “I want to make friends all over the world through makeup”. This is my concept. I’m interested in participation type art as installation with makeup!

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“MakeUp Tour”, Taipei, 2014

Could you tell me about the name “Make Smile Artist”? What was the basic idea which made you start this activity?

It’s been 5 years since I began to recognize myself as “I’m totally different from makeup artist” in the activity at foreign countries. I was performing on the streets in the world and thinking “Why I’ve been able to keep on performing” and “Why I can’t do normally. Why I can’t stop thinking to make things fun”. It was when I had show on the street of Ximending where was called as Shibuya in Taiwan for the first time. I started dancing and makeup with music from the little sound speaker. 1 hour had passed in an instant and I found myself who had been concentrating on makeup desperately in the crowds. I talked with people who came to have my makeup, laughed, took photos, and danced together. This was the time when I felt “connecting the world through makeup”. Not the latest techniques of makeup, but making people smile and have fun. I strongly thought this was what I wanted to do.

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“MakeUp Tour”, Tokyo, 2015, Photo: Gori Kuramoto

With such thought, the idea about my title as an artist came up. My friend who is a director in the front line suggested at the café in Tokyo “You should be Make Smile Artist!” And I agreed as “That’s super good! The word “make” and “smile”, and meaning of “make-smile” fit perfectly well!!” This was the birth of “Make Smile Artist” Miwanderful.

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