Kazu Hiro
Kazu Hiro is a contemporary hyperrealist sculptor, prosthetic makeup designer living and working in Los Angeles. After working 25 years as a special effects makeup artist in Hollywood, Kazu decisively shifted focus in 2012, dedicating himself full time to fine art sculpture. Using resin, platinum silicone, and many other materials, Kazu constructs three-dimensional portraits in a scale two times life size.
Kazu is a self taught pioneer in the craft of using contemporary materials to create the illusion of life. Having discovered the art of special effects makeup for himself while perusing American magazines as a teenager, he developed skills through mimicry, trial and error. In 1987, he found the address for Dick Smith in Fangoria Magazine and initiated a pen pal student/mentor relationship with him which eventually resulted in Kazu’s first film gig fresh out of high school. As an early pioneer in Japan, Kazu founded one of the country’s first companies of its kind, Makeup and Effects Unlimited, and worked with director Akira Kurosawa in the production of “Rhapsody in August”.
These experiences made him the obvious choice to instruct the first classes dedicated to the emerging craft of special effects makeup at the newly founded Yoyogi Animation Institute. In 1996, Kazu was sponsored by Rick Baker to work on “Men In Black” in the USA. This prompted a decade-long collaboration with Baker where Kazu was project supervisor and makeup artist. In 2007, Kazu started KTS Effects Inc. in Los Angeles. In retrospect his film career had served as a laboratory for developing cutting edge styles of portrait painting, photography, and sculpture. This led to a collaboration with Contemporary Artist Paul McCarthy where Kazu was hired to supervise the projects that have become some of McCarthy's latest major works. The recent work he has exhibited widely at major art fairs and museums, has magnetized the attention from collectors, press, and visiting art enthusiasts alike.
2018 Kazu received numerous awards including Academy Awards Oscar for his work in “Darkest Hour” to help Gary Oldman to portray Winston Churchill. 2020 Kazu received numerous awards including Academy Awards Oscar for his work in “Bombshell” to help Charlize Theron to portray Megan Kelly, John Lithgow to portray Roger Ailes.
ART Exhibitions and ART Shows
2023
Reshaped Reality - 50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture
Palazzo Bonaparte, Rome, Italy, May 26, 2023 – October 8, 2023
Musée Maillol, Paris, France, September 8, 2022 – March 5, 2023
2022
La Sucrière, Lyon, France, February 11, 2022 – July 24, 2022
Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium, June 25, 2021 – January 2, 2022
2021
Osthaus Museum Hagen, Germany, August 23, 2020 – April 11, 2021
2020
La Boverie, Liège, Belgium, November 22, 2019 – August 2, 2020
2020
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taiwan, June 29, 2019 – September 22, 2019
Conjoined 10 - Copro Gallery, Los Angeles CA
LA Art Show - Copro Gallery booth, Los Angeles CA
2019
Conjoined 9 - Copro Gallery, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Jimi Hendrix"
LA Art Show - Copro Gallery booth, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Jimi Hendrix"
2018
Charity for Earth Quake Victims Group Show in Japan
Conjoined 8 - Copro Gallery, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Mark Ryden"
LA Art Show - Copro Gallery booth, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Mark Ryden"
2017
HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE - 40th Anniversary Group Art Show , Los Angeles CA
"Portrait of Robert Crumb" "Portrait of Andy Warhol"
Juxtapozed - Fort Wayne Museum of Art "Portrait of Robert Crumb"
Essential Effects - Cologne Germany "Portrait of Lincoln"
Conjoined 7 - Copro Gallery, Los Angeles CA "Salvador Dali Old Study"
2016
The Late Drawings of Andy Warhol - Fullerton Museum Center CA
LA Art Show - Copro Gallery booth, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Frida Kahlo"
2015
Scope Art Show Miami - Copro Gallery booth, Miami FL "Portrait of Frida Kahlo"
INAUGURAL CELEBRATION - The Gregorio Escalante Gallery, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Lincoln"
Rough with the Smooth - DAX Gallery Costa Mesa CA "Portrait of Lincoln"
Andy Warhol LIVE - Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) Seoul South Korea
"Portrait of Andy Warhol"
"20 Years Under the Influence of Juxtapoz" - Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles CA
"Portrait of Andy Warhol" "Portrait of Salvador Dali"
"Conjoined V" - Copro Gallery, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Salvador Dali"
LA Art Show - Copro Gallery booth, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Salvador Dali"
2014
Scope Art Show Miami - Copro Gallery booth, Miami FL "Portrait of Salvador Dali"
"Conjoined IV" - Copro Gallery, Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Andy Warhol"
2013
Scope Art Show Miami - Copro Gallery booth, Miami FL "Portrait of Andy Warhol"
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library
"Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln" - Simi Valley CA "Portrait of Lincoln"
"Conjoined III" - Los Angeles CA "Portrait of Lincoln"
International Make up Artist Trade Show - London United Kingdom "Portrait of Lincoln"
International Make up Artist Trade Show - New York, NY "Portrait of Lincoln"
International Make up Artist Trade Show - Los Angeles California "Portrait of Lincoln"
"Dream Out Loud" - "Portrait of Lincoln", documentary short film
2011-2017
Paul McCarthy Studios
Project supervisor
HAUSER & WIRTH
Paul McCarthy Life Cast
Paul McCarthy WS
Film works
2023
“MAESTRO”
Netflix
Prosthetic Makeup Designer : Bradley Cooper - Leonard Bernstein
2022
“Gaslit”
Starz
Prosthetic Makeup / hair designer : Sean Penn
2019
“Bombshell”
Prosthetic make up designer
“Mindhunter season 2” Netflix
Prosthetic make up designer
2017
"Darkest Hour"
Prosthetic make up and hair designer for Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill
2011-2012
"Hemingway and Gellhorn" Attaboy Film
Nicole Kidman Aging make up designer
"Looper" Endgame Entertainment
Joseph Gordon Levitte make up designer
" Killing Them Softly"
"Total Recall" Columbia Pictures
Special effects Make up designer
2010
"Rise of the planet of the Apes" 20th Century Fox
Ape designer
"Tron Legacy " Walt Disney Pictures
Special Effects Make up designer
2009
"SALT" Columbia Pictures
Prosthetic Make up Designer for Angelina Jolie
"TRAMSFORMERS:REVENGE OF THE FALLEN" Dream Works SKG
Special effects make up artist
"ANGELS & DEMONS" Columbia Pictures Special effects make up artist
2004-2008
Make up designer , project supervisor
for Rick Baker’s Cinovation Studios,Inc.
"THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON" The Kennedy/Marchall Company 2008
"TROPIC THUNDER" DREAM WORKS SGK 2008
"ENCHATED"Walt Disney Pictures2006
"NORBIT" Dream Works SGK 2006 Academy Award Nominated
- Personal Make-up Artist for Eddie Murphy
"CLICK" Columbia Picturs 2005 Academy Award Nominated
"RING 2" Dream Works SGK 2004
1996-2003
Make up designer , project supervisor
for Rick Baker’s Cinovation Studios,Inc.
"CURSED" Miramax/Dimension Films 2003
"HELLBOY" Revolution Studios 2003
"THE HAUNTED MANSION" The Walt Disney Co. 2003
"THE RING" Works SKG 2002
"MEN IN BLACK Ⅱ" Columbia TriStar/Amblin 2002
"PLANET OF THE APES" 20th Century Fox 2001
BAFTA AWARD NOMINATED
LOCAL 706 UNION AWARD WINNER
"HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS" Imagine Entertainment/Universal Studios 2000
BAFTA AWARD WINNER
LOCAL 706 UNION AWARD WINNER
- Personal Make-up Artist for Jim Carrey as "The GRINCH"
"THE NUTTY PROFESSOR Ⅱ" Imagine Entertainment/Universal Studio 2000
"WILD WILD WEST" Warner Bros Pictures. 1999
"LIFE" Universal Studios 1999
"Mighty Joe Young" The Walt Disney Co. 1998
"THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE" Warner Bros Pictures. 1997
"A THOUSAND ACRES" Via Rosa Productions 1997
"MEN IN BLACK" Columbia/TriStar/Amblin 1997
"BATMAN & ROBIN" Warner Bros Pictures. 1997
"CRITICAL CARE" Live Entertainment 1997
1992-1996
Head instructor and supervisor at Yoyogi Animation Institute Tokyo JAPAN
Owner of Make-up and Effects Unlimited
"RHAPSODY IN AUGUST" Akira Kurosawa Productions 1991
"MINNBOU NO ONNA" Toho-Itami Productions 1993
And 16 Japanese Films and TV shows
1988-1990
Make-up artist, project supervisor, art director sculptor painter
Make-up Dimensions
11 Japanese films and TV shows