AMAZING JIRO
In the world of makeup, some artists don’t just beautify — they transform, disrupt, and reinvent our perception of the body and the face. Amazing Jiro, Japan’s master of special effects and body painting, belongs to that rare category of creators capable of bridging traditional craftsmanship with the boldest imagination. Awarded multiple times and recognized internationally, he has left his mark on cult productions such as Shin Godzilla and Attack on Titan, while building a singular visual language where beauty is always intertwined with the uncanny. Between his studio, his school, and countless collaborations, Jiro continues to push the boundaries of makeup, positioning it at the crossroads of art, fashion and cinema.
Do you think of makeup as a mask we wear, or as a truth we reveal?
Although makeup is a superficial thing, it can bring out inner beauty and hidden personality traits.
What first drew you to the world of transformation — was it curiosity, fantasy, or the desire to create something never seen before?
It comes from the desire to create something with my own hands that has never been seen before.
Outside of your craft, where do you find beauty in everyday life?
I find it interesting to find the poison in something beautiful, or the fake hidden in something real. I often incorporate such dualities into my work.
Your work often dances between elegance and unease. Does that reflect something about how you see the world?
As mentioned above, I believe that giving my work a duality makes the created world seem more real.
During the pandemic, your One Hand Monster series captured both imagination and emotion. How did this idea come to you and how did that moment reshape your perspective as an artist?
During that time when we were cut off from contact with others, my daily routine of doing makeup on others disappeared, and I felt lonely.
My heart yearned to meet someone, and my right hand always had a desire to create something. That's when I came up with the idea of creating a friend with my left hand. I came up with the idea of proposing and sharing this with people who were also feeling lonely, thinking that it might help them feel connected, so I came up with the idea.
Through this project, I was reminded of the joy of creative connections and the excitement of the creativity that can be created from nothing.
Beyond your creations, what brings you balance and a sense of home?
All the time except for creative activities.
From Shin Godzilla to Attack on Titan, you’ve given life to unforgettable imagery. Which project has been the most transformative for you personally?
Nothing in particular... Actually, I feel like most projects, big or small, are still changing me little by little.
You often emphasize the importance of analog techniques in a digital era. What does the human hand bring that technology can never replicate?
Digital technology has evolved tremendously. AI enables increasingly sophisticated expressions. I believe the potential remaining for analog technology will continue to diminish.
That said, in special effects makeup and prop creation, I still feel analog expression holds significant value. I know there are subtle adjustments to appliances that bring out an actor's expressions, and ambiguous nuances in shaping that can only be achieved analogically.
Furthermore, in makeup, deliberately using analog techniques to create images that might otherwise only be possible digitally can generate entirely new looks. Rather than separating digital and analog, I see potential in the new forms of expression that emerge when both are utilized together.
As a teacher and mentor, what do you hope your students carry with them beyond technique?
The potential of imagination and the joy of creation.
Your work moves seamlessly between cinema, fashion, and art. How do you personally define the language of makeup today?
Every field has pursued its own forms of expression and techniques. However, these fields were categorized. Special effects makeup, beauty makeup, body painting, art, fashion, and so on...
Isn't this era about breaking down the walls between them, embracing freedom, accepting diversity, and expressing ourselves?
When you imagine the future of your art, what dream project, or impossible vision, do you wish to bring to life?
Wouldn't it be exciting to see a future where all creators can express themselves without being confined by fields or categories?
Makeup artists creating paintings, AI-generated images brought to life through analog techniques, or the fusion of traditional crafts with cutting-edge digital technology…
When future generations look back at your work, what story do you hope they’ll see?
Our generation lived through the transition from analog to digital. I hope the next generation will carry forward the collaboration between analog and digital technologies I've pursued, and the freedom to express without categorization.
What does the word “ZERO” mean to you?
Breaking down category walls creates numerous possibilities for expressions that have yet to be born. That state is ZERO.