04.08.22
Smashbox Cosmetics has created a residency program to support artists who seek to redefine today's beauty standards.
Launching from world-renowned Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles, the four-week incubator provides artists with premium resources to create, in tandem with a physical space to develop and showcase their work. The program culminated in a group show at Smashbox Studios, where the cohort unveiled three new projects that push boundary-breaking beauty standards across cultures, generations and genders.
"I wanted to create a culture. Not just a studio,” said Davis Factor, founder and senior vice president of global creative at Smashbox Cosmetics. “I didn't want to exclude anybody. I wanted to plant a seed so people could grow, and that meant everyone was welcome."
The three artists invited to participate in the inaugural residency were Uzumaki Cepeda, a creator of faux-fur environments designed as safe havens for communities of color; Gabriela Ruiz, a mixed media artist who works with vibrant color palettes to explore ideas of self, home, and environment; and Randijah Simmons, a photographer and co-founder of community creative studio The Babe Cave LA.
Uzumaki built a walk-in installation featuring a fur-covered vanity and self-portrait series that explores her own beauty ideals. Simmons created a portrait series combining real and surreal imagery, countering decades-long practices of erasure of Black women and voices, by exploring the innovation and evolution of Black beauty.
Ruiz created an exploration of Brown hyper-surrealism, a collection of portraits reimagined beauty ideals from an altered point-of-view. Building out a unique set for each portrait, she created a canvas for her subjects to take on colorful new personas.
Each artist received a grant to invest in materials, tools and resources to bring their visionary projects to life. Additionally, participants were invited to take advantage of the brand's breadth of resources, which included access to various Smashbox Studios services and tools such as lighting equipment, photography equipment and studio space. Artists were also introduced to Smashbox Cosmetics veterans who provided guidance on photography, lighting, branding and design, and makeup in science and practice, including: Davis Factor, Smashbox Cosmetics and studios founder and Smashbox Cosmetics head of global creative Lori Taylor Davis, among others.
To further engage diverse communities and audiences, artists presented their final projects in a celebratory group show at Smashbox Studios on March 31.