[NEXUM CREATOR'S INTERVIEW] The challenges faced by Shunsuke Meguro, a Japanese hair artist active in the UK
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This time, we interviewed Shunsuke Meguro, a hair and wig artist active in the UK, online. Where do the ideas for his bold artwork come from, and how did he overcome the language barrier to get work overseas? We explore the essence of creativity and the secret to his work overseas.
Shunsuke Meguro
After graduating from beauty school, she got a job as a hairdresser at a salon. After leaving the salon and working as an assistant in Japan, she moved to the UK in 2016. She is currently affiliated with the London agency Future Rep. She specializes in bold colors and wigs. She has worked on photo shoots and shows for many famous brands, including Issey Miyake, Alexander Wang, and Gucci.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shun_hairhead/
◾️Please tell us about your current activities.
I am currently represented by the London agency Future Rep and work on fashion shows, magazines, and the occasional commercial. Recently, I have been trying my hand at sculpture and other artwork as a hobby.
◾️Can you tell us what made you interested in becoming a hair stylist?
Originally, I enjoyed styling my own hair, but when I was in high school, I went to see a hair contest on the recommendation of a friend's father, and that was a big turning point for me. I was amazed to see professional hairdressers creating their works on stage, and I felt like "This is it!"
After that, I went on to Niigata Beauty College, where I had the opportunity to experience not only technology but also art. I was particularly impressed by a class called "Art Theory," where I met a teacher who has had a big influence on me today.
◾️Why did you decide to shift from salon work to the fashion industry?
When I first started working at the salon, I was aiming to enter a hair contest, but when I found out that only hairdressers with high sales could participate, I gradually began to feel uncomfortable. As a result, my motivation for salon work decreased.
However, I continued taking photos, and one day a model advised me, "Why don't you go into fashion?" From there, I became interested in hairstyling in the fashion industry, and was particularly influenced by the hairstyles of Julien Diss of Comme des Garçons. I wanted to learn about that, so I decided to gain experience as an assistant in Japan.
◾️Please tell me about your “Art Theory” teacher at your vocational school.
I met a teacher in an "Art Theory" class, and he taught me art privately, which led to my current job. The class was mainly about hair drawing, but I'm not the submissive type (lol), so while everyone was drawing their hair, I drew 3D rectangles.
Normally I would have been scolded, but the teacher instead praised my drawing, and that was the beginning of a relationship of trust. I went to the teacher's waiting room outside of class and asked him to teach me how to draw privately. The teacher accepted, but in reality I received training to hone my "sense."
◾️What kind of training did you receive specifically?
The teacher taught us that sense is intuition, and that it is important to train the five senses. For example, we trained by shining light on a white cube, observing the shadow, and drawing the shades of the shadow, and by training to sketch an object in 10 seconds. We also trained our sense of touch, touching a toy with spikes and practicing expressing the sensation in words.
◾️What effect did that training have?
According to the teacher, many people can input but cannot output. The work of a hairdresser or hairstylist requires constant output, but I learned that it is important to train your ability to do so on a daily basis. You don't just look at what you see, you transmit it to your brain and describe it or put it into words to train your ability to output.
◾️Is there anything your teacher said that made an impression on you?
The words "Don't create works based on your own common sense" left a strong impression on me. Each person grows up in a different environment, and what they perceive as normal is different. If you rely on that "normal," your work will be shallow. I was also reminded of the teaching that good works cannot be created with positive emotions alone. I learned that because humans tend to be attracted to negative elements, such elements are also necessary in works.
◾️Why did you choose the UK out of all the overseas destinations?
At the time, I was interested in making headpieces and wanted to study under the world-famous hat designer Philip Treacy.
He designed hats for Queen Elizabeth and many celebrities, and also created innovative headpieces for fashion shows. His work was particularly characterized by its sculptural design, which matched my vision of fusing art and hair. However, when I contacted him, he was no longer doing that kind of art work, so my dream did not come true. Still, I thought, "Since I've come all the way to the UK," so I contacted all the creators one by one and continued to take photos of their works.
How did you get signed with your first agency after moving to the UK?
Because I couldn't speak any English, I relied on a translator, but I still managed to communicate with the creators and continue making works.
After about a year, I contacted an agency, not expecting any offers, and was given the opportunity to show my work, which led to a contract.
What was your first agency interview like?
I put the works I made in London on my iPad, printed out the ones I liked and put them in a book. I also brought a light-up headpiece in a cardboard box, but the moment I arrived at the office, they mistook it for a delivery (laughs). But on the contrary, they thought it was interesting, and they looked at my work properly, and I was able to complete the interview without any problems.
From there, I was contracted as an under-apprentice (a person whose name does not appear on the website but is actually affiliated with the company).
◾️What are your thoughts on originality and taste?
I try not to get too hung up on taste or sense. I think that if you are too hung up on your own preferences, you may lose sight of what the client wants. I think
this job is more like a designer's job than an artist's job, so I think it's important to always be flexible. It's important to understand trends and update yourself.
◾️What do you do to stay constantly updated?
Nowadays, we can access many works of art on our smartphones, but I think that just looking at them is not enough. When looking at a work of art, we try to convert the information into "knowledge" and "culture" and understand the background and technology. By digging deeper into the background, rather than just looking at it superficially, we can deepen our understanding.
◾️Finally, please give a message to our readers.
If you're interested in going abroad, please take action. Even if you have no experience, just jump in and you'll learn a lot. If you have time to hesitate, you'll gain more by taking action. Also, even if you're not interested in going abroad, you can gain a new perspective by coming into contact with a different culture. I believe that the key to opening new paths is to just take action without overthinking.
If you're not sure what to do right now, I recommend that you just take action without overthinking.
Interview & Text Marino Asahi
Assistant Nao Sanada
All Photos: Hair by Shunsuke Meguro
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