Meet Aunika Morris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aunika Morris.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My story started when I was nine years old. I loved to watch old horror films with my dad. I would never get scared because he told me everything in the movie was fake, that it was all makeup. Of course, I had to know more. After watching every single special effects makeup tutorial on YouTube, I bought my first jar of scar wax when I was 14. I quickly realized makeup is my passion. I continued to teach myself and study YouTube videos until I graduated high school in Galt, California. I worked as a barista and freelanced for two years, saving money so I could move to Los Angeles, California in July 2019 to attend Cinema Makeup School. I will be graduating March 2020 and continuing my career in Los Angeles.

Please tell us about your art.
As a beauty and special effects makeup artist, my focus is on the emotions within the makeup. I will never forget how I felt the first time I discovered special effects makeup. Whether the makeup be is meant to be scary, funny, shocking, or make the person feel good, there is always an emotion being projected. Attending a school for skills such as sculpting, digital effects, and creature design, helped my performance as a makeup artist tremendously. My looks are now well rounded and executed thoroughly.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
At this day in age, almost everything has been done before. Creating something original can feel nearly impossible. With that being said, there can be backlash over who did what first, or who did it better. It makes the industry/community feel as if it’s always a competition, which is something I think art can go without. I believe the most important thing is that if you’re passionate about your work, it will outshine the people dragging you down.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Being a student, I am still collecting my last pieces for my site to be up. I do post my work on my Instagram page @aunikamorris. I started making fun videos of my work on TikTok a few weeks ago (March 2020) and was so happy to see all of the views and comments on my videos! People had the same emotions I did when I first discovered special effects makeup, which makes me absolutely happy. I currently have 4.4 million views on a video, with my work averaging 100k views and 30k followers. With all the love and support in one month, I can’t help but be sure I’m making the right decision chasing my dreams.

Contact Info:

• Phone: (209)329-8865
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aunikamorris/

Image Credit:
Cinema Makeup School Media Team

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