Begoña (Shirak)
Begoña is a freelance artist specialising in special make-up effects and creature design, who works in the film and television industry. She is also a cosplayer and goes by the name Shirak. She has been cosplaying since 2001! She represented the UK at Japan Expo in Paris during ECG in 2015, portraying Bran Stoker’s Dracula as a solo representative. She has won awards in several national and international competitions.
Professionally, she works as a make-up artist, sculptor, illustrator and prop maker for film and television, and often teaches special effects at universities and other venues. Begoña has worked on several international productions for Disney, Netflix, Warner Brothers and the BBC, as well as music videos and independent films in the UK and Europe.
At Japan Impact, Begoña will present a full panel explaining the intricacies of prosthetics and special make-up effects, accompanied by a live demonstration of prosthetic application. This panel shows the details of industry-standard prosthetics (from their design to the final make-up of the creature, showing the sculpting process, techniques, secrets, etc.), as well as the possibilities and applications of prosthetics in cosplay.
Photo by Riah