The Art of Body Art: An Interview with Bella Valen

The article was first published in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

— Is this your first time in Ukraine? How do you like the level of Ukrainian makeup artists? — This is my first visit to Ukraine. And Matilda Inozemtseva is the first makeup artist I saw in Ukraine. I can’t say anything more specific, since I’m not particularly deeply interested in the field of makeup. I am far from it, because I specifically do body art. — What was the public reaction to your master class? Were you asked a lot of questions? “You know, I haven’t really had time to talk to the audience yet, but I already saw genuine interest in their eyes. This is cool! Therefore, in the evening after the end of the master class, I got to know everyone better in a more informal atmosphere. The Ukrainian public, first of all, has sincere interest and sparkling eyes of people who really want to learn something new! — Many people first started with make-up, and then switched to body art. Or at first they were engaged in fine arts. How did your passion for body art begin? — The fact is that I am a professional artist and it was much easier for me to switch to the body than for any makeup artist. This is, you know, how to change the canvas! It doesn't matter whether you paint on the body or on the canvas, you just take into account the structure and that's it. But when a makeup artist changes his field of activity to body art, it’s much more difficult, I think. Since he needs to learn a new technique and also be able to draw. Initially, I only drew pictures, until one day I was asked to do a drawing on the body. I thought that this was a good opportunity to develop in a new direction, to learn something - and that’s how my passion for body art began. — Tell me, which of your colleagues do you admire? Who inspires you? Whose tendencies do you most relate to? Perhaps you draw something from them for your works? — I never look for inspiration in other masters. Of course, I follow the work of my colleagues, but I find inspiration in nature, in light, in books, in any external manifestations of beauty. — Many masters, whether makeup artists, hairdressers or body art masters, are engaged in complex activities: they work at festivals, in cinemas, conduct master classes and trainings, improve their knowledge, engage in commercial projects, etc. What are you doing now? ? What segments can you divide your activities into? — Of course, I regularly take part in exhibitions and festivals, but mainly I am focused on my art and development in this direction. I already have a sufficient number of awards, about 80, which I received at various competitions. Most of these events are international. I am also often invited as a jury to various championships and competitions. So now I’m not particularly interested in actively participating in the competition for cups, since I’ve already received all kinds of awards that could be received. The World Body Art Association constantly makes me commercial offers, one of the latest came from Red Bull, where I implemented cool projects on chic models. — By the way, about the models. Do you select them for yourself or, when it comes to commercial offers, do you have no choice? And are there any special preferences based on body type? Should these be definitely thin young ladies or, on the contrary, with curves? — It always directly depends on the project, and if it is commercial, then also on the idea. It is the idea that determines the further choice of models. But my personal preference is still thin girls. You see, they are easier to work with, paints are applied better to an elastic, fragile body, although I know many craftsmen who like to work with curvy figures. — What would you wish for Ukrainian body art masters, especially beginners? What pitfalls await them along this path? — I strongly recommend concentrating your attention on the ability to draw. That is, take not only body art lessons, but also art lessons. It is with a good artistic foundation that comes the ability to quickly work with a brush, to realize the correct shapes and bends.