Untitled MAGAZINE: In London Rankin presents a selection of photographs from his collaboration with avant-garde makeup artist Ayami Nishimura

Photographer and publisher Rankin presents a selection of photographs from his collaboration with avant-garde makeup artist Ayami Nishimura. This is the second in his series of beauty books and will be followed in the fall with another collaboration with Caroline Saulnier.

The show will take place at the Annroy Gallery located at 110-114 Grafton Road, London NW5 4BA from July 26th and will run 31^STof August 2012

The exhibition debuts a collection of enchanting and distinctive beauty portraits that push the boundaries of make up artistry. Ayami Nishimura has transformed the pages of the world’s most recognized fashion magazines and the faces of our best-loved celebrities with her unfettered imagination. Her distinctive style makes up a glistening dreamscape where Japanese history, nature, and visions of the future collide. Given free reign to express herself, her elaborate and whimsical creations open a window into a fantasy world. Rankin captures this perfectly with his renowned skill for beauty portraiture.

On speaking about the process of making this book, Nishimura explains, “ When Rankin suggested doing a book together, I immediately started doing a lot of research – I always do. I studied photography, fashion illustration, African art, nature, animals, painting, music – everything, really. I found myself fascinated by the idea of a cyber theme, and accumulated lots of different ideas based on that. By the time I started the drawings, I could see the makeup in my head. For each image, I needed people – stylists, hairdressers, nail artists, and set designers. Set design was the most important for me. I like the full image to tell the story, so I always fill the space. The people I worked with brought the project to the next level”.

Ayami Nishimura

After two years of imaginative collaboration, Ayami Nishimura By Rankin is a beauty book that is inspiring and fearless. It highlights the talents of two forward-thinking masters of their trades, who have had the rare opportunity of total creative freedom. The result moves beyond mere beauty photography into the realm of high art.

“This is the second book in my beauty series and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Rankin explained. ”Ayami was a joy to work with and really took the open brief to heart. We’ve created so many original and unique images. It demonstrates why make-up artists like Ayami, truly are artists in their own right!”

www.ayaminishimura.com

Rankin

The RANKIN Gallery show will feature some of Nishimura’s most directional work taken from the new captivating book, which is available in stores worldwide this month.