RISING TALENT 2023 - HAIR AND MAKEUP

HAIR AND MAKEUP

So impressed are we with the industry’s up-and-comers, we have decided to make our Rising Talent list an annual fixture. These are the people we think the industry needs to sit up and take notice of; the names you’ll need to know and want to work with in the years ahead. Some faces are relatively new, while others have recently moved up the chain into leadership positions where they are making change.

Thank you again to everyone who helped us put this list together, including the hundreds of submissions we received through our public call out. We know this list is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the talent in this industry, but we hope it hints towards its future.

AOIFE MURRAY

Aoife Murray is a makeup artist living in Mparntwe/Alice Springs and originally from County Clare, Ireland.

Originating in theatre, Murray’s entry into film and television came via TV series Vikings. In 2016, she made the leap to Alice Springs, where she has since landed roles as head of department on Maverix for ABC/Netflix, SBS’s Robbie Hood, and NITV’s History Bites Back. She was most recently a makeup artist for SBS/NITV’s True Colours

Murray is a self-professed nerd for special effects and loves when things get gory. She has a passion for illusionist body painting, with her work showcased in exhibitions and live body paint installations.

Living amongst the colours of Arrernte country, she considers it a privilege to have worked on a variety of cutting edge First Nations productions, which continue to shape and inspire her as an artist.

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REBECCA BURRATO

Based in Adelaide, Rebecca Buratto has worked as a hair, makeup and SFX artist for over a decade. In 2022, she stepped up to designer on Talk to Me and A Beginners Guide to Grief. Within her time in the industry, she has worked in the hair and makeup department on productions such as Mortal Kombat, Sweet Country, 2067, The Stranger, Total Control, and Aftertaste

Her work with Danny and Michael Philippou on Talk to Me, screening in Sundance, SXSW and Berlin, continues a long-standing collaboration on their YouTube channel, RackaRacka.

Burrato has a strong interest in horror and sci-fi, so will always navigate towards productions that keep her interests sparked – and her hands a little bloody.

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KAREN GOWER

Karen (Kaz) Gower is an Adelaide-based hair and makeup artist, with experience across media, from music videos, news, sport presentations and her true passion, film and television.

Gower served as head of department on both season one and two of ABC’s Aftertaste, and recently designed hair and makeup for feature film Monolith, due to screen at SXSW in March.

Her other recent credits include makeup artist to Jamie Dornan in BBC/Stan series The Tourist, as well as artist on Foxtel’s Rockwiz and ABC’s Bay of Fires. Her work can also be seen in Mortal Kombat, Escape to Pretoria, Storm Boy, The Hunting, Upright and The Secret She Keeps.

Gower is currently working on a TV series in Sydney.

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REBECCA ALLEN

Rebecca Allen is a Gold Coast-based makeup artist, prosthetics artist and hairdresser for film and TV.

After completing her diploma in makeup, Rebecca worked in bridal and fashion before breaking into the screen industry in 2011. She would go on to complete a Certificate III in hairdressing and then studied prosthetics makeup in the UK under the renowned Neil Gorton in 2016.

This led to work on cult classic Ash Vs Evil Dead, and alongside legacy effects artists on Guardians of the Galaxy characters for Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder

While based in Australia, Allen has worked across the globe including China for Legend of Sun and Moon, NZ for Cowboy Bebop and Alien Covenant and Europe for Amazon’s Wheel of Time

Her extensive credits also include Aquaman, Dora the Explorer, Godzilla vs. Kong, and crowd hair for Elvis. In 2019, she designed local cult horror Bloody Hell.

Most recently, Allen worked on George Miller’s Furiosa with Oscar winner Lesley Vanderwalt.

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SAMARA GILDEA

Samara Gildea is a hair, makeup and prosthetics artist based out of Sydney. After graduating from the Australian College of Make Up and Special Effects in 2014, she has gone on to work on projects such as Hacksaw Ridge, Picnic at Hanging Rock, High Ground, Stateless, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Fall Guy, Class of ’07, Clickbait and Young Rock She also worked on The True History of the Kelly Gang, which won the AACTA Award for Best Make Up and Hairstyling in 2020.

Among Gildea’s career highlights has been working on Furiosa. She had previously completed work experience on the Sydney pick-ups on Mad Max: Fury Road, so to work as an artist on the prequel was a full circle moment.

Gildea is enthusiastic about education, and training new and diverse artists, believing there is room for everyone to share their craft and tell their stories.

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