[Professional Interview] Meet Zegal, Freelance Makeup Artist
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The popularity of K-Culture, which has been going on for several years now, has raised awareness of South Korea as a country and contributed to a general interest in not only Korean content and celebrities, but also in different cultures in general. Naturally, other cultural elements, such as K-food and K-beauty, are also loved around the world. In particular, whereas Korean cosmetics and makeup used to be popular in Asia, we're seeing more interest from Europe and North America.
Behind this popularity of K-beauty are the artists who are always behind the scenes, doing hair and makeup for models and celebrities. They use their unique skills, attention to detail, and aesthetic sense to enhance the talent's appeal. Today, we're talking to Jegal Kyung, a freelance makeup artistwho has been working in Korea and abroad since before the K-culture craze began in earnest.
Interview with makeup artist Jegal Kyung
These interviews were conducted in writing.
Q. Lord Zegal, good to see you. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
hello. I am a makeup artist working primarily on magazine and commercial shoots, and I also teach image making to models. Now that I've had a long career, I've decided that rather than working in the field, I want to help younger makeup artists gain a broader, more global experience.
Q. I know you've been working on some big projects and celebrities in the past, so I'm curious to know what you've been up to.
I don't do as much on-location work now as I did at the height of my career, but I've worked with just about every model, actor, and celebrity in the past. I've worked as an editorial photographer for Korean magazines, a trend shooter for cosmetics brands, and an art director. I do makeup and grooming for directors and actors who come to promote their movies overseas. I'll never forget meeting my favorite actor, Brad Pitt, and doing my own makeup on Dwayne Taylor Johnson.
Q. You've been doing a lot of work for the development of Korean makeup artists lately, and I'd like to know more about it.
For juniors who want to build on what they learned at the Makeup Academy or university, we hosted a training program for them to go to Paris and get hands-on experience abroad. To do this, I went backstage at Paris Fashion Week myself in February. I also want to open makeup and hair classes to local Parisians who love K-beauty and K-Pop. We're currently discussing this and will share when it's finalized.
Q. The interest in hair and makeup styles continues to grow thanks to K-culture, which has gotten the world's attention. What do you think about this, Lord Zegal?
K-culture has become so popular that when I walk around Paris, I often see teens and 20-somethings who love Korean content and pop singers. For some reason, I think the French have become more friendly (laughs). Korean people are also very interested in hair and makeup. To keep up with this trend, I want to create opportunities to experience K-culture not only in Southeast Asia, but also in Europe and the Americas. I'm trying to be that stepping stone.
I would tell artists and models to be more enterprising and try their hand at the global stage. I think it will be a good life experience for me to know Korea. Every little bit counts. You just need to be friendly and professional. Abroad, you can work without age or race prejudice, make friends, and get offered other jobs.
Don't be intimidated wherever you are.
Be friendly and professional, and you'll get your chance.
Q. Finally, what would you like to say to younger people who want to get into this career?
If you want to work in this industry, I think the mindset is similar for models as well as makeup artists because it's the same territory. Different jobs, same stage. If you're looking to gain international experience, I think it's great to get your feet wet and challenge yourself locally - English is a must, of course. I wanted to experience that firsthand, so I studied abroad in London, trained in makeup in France, and worked as a makeup artist in the UK. That's still ing. That's how I was able to create this Paris Global Project. It's just hard to get started. If you keep knocking, opportunities will come.
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