Sum Wing-wai a.k.a Maysum
A makeup artist who utilizes cosmetics to create artwork, Sum Wing-wai—known as Maysum—is famed for her sculptures made out of lipstick. She talks to Maggie Yeung about mixing makeup and art together.
HK Magazine: When did you start your cosmetic and art crossover project?
M: Besides being a makeup artist I am also an artist, and I wanted to have a fusion of the two elements in my work. I started making lipstick sculptures two years ago. Before that, I tried [creating] mini installation arts with cosmetics, but I think lipstick art is a better way to combine the two ideas together.
HK: Can you tell us something about your lipstick sculpture?
M: There are three different themes in my most recent lipstick art collection: animals, lifestyle and imaginative characters. I normally have to spend six hours carving a lipstick, but when it comes to a detailed design, it may take a whole day to finish. I have to do it in a dry and breezy place—this is to protect the materials from melting. Lipsticks are fragile and whenever they are broken, there is no remedy [other than] to throw them away and make a new one.
HK: Where do your inspirations come from?
M: My inspirations come from daily life and my two cats. I actually prefer learning from fields other than cosmetic and art, for example architecture. [Different fields] broadens the mind, allowing me to keep the design original. A few years ago, I was told that several illustrations of mine looked similar to another artist’s work. I was alarmed by this and starting to think about how to avoid being a copycat. Sometime we are not intentionally copying others’ work. I think the best way to learn from each other and to keep our originality at the same time is to study the backgrounds and themes behind an artwork, instead of paying too much attention to the visual appearance.
HK: How do you generate new ideas?
M: I keep working on makeup, sculptures and drawings. Switching from different mediums helps me to brainstorm new ideas and therefore I seldom encounter a bottleneck. I carve lipsticks and draw graphics on every Friday and Saturday respectively. Sometime I also ask for inspirations in prayers.
HK: How does your faith affect your career?
M: I want to spread positive messages through my God-given talents, and this is why I enjoy drawing graphics that are related to Bible stories. I used to want to work with as many celebrities as possible and hoping that one day I could be a famous makeup artist. This idea, however, nearly brought me to the wrong track with my life. Having faith helps me to be down to earth and peaceful, which is extremely important because I am working in the entertainment industry. I only concentrate on my work now and I believe “I do the best, He will do the rest.”