Today we’d like to introduce you to Keema Chang.
Hi Keema, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a creative artist specializing in hair styling and makeup artistry. I was born and raised on the beautiful island of St.Croix and completed high school in Dallas, TX. Moving to Miami in 1999 to begin college majoring in fashion design, I always did hair and makeup for the other art students’ projects, and my passion for glam was always natural to me. After leaving college I decided to pursue my career as a cosmetologist attending Aveda and then opened Keema Chang Salon in 2015, During that time I was building my name in the entertainment industry.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Back when I started doing makeup, there was no YouTube or no real way to break into the film industry. It was all about who you know and I had to assist a lot just to see different tools or products I would need in my kit, or how to move on set (production lingo and rules). Learning new techniques and finding inspiration was a little harder back then. Now with the internet and social media, you can learn so much and keep being inspired by all the art and classes available online. I love that artists today have an easier path to learning new hair and makeup techniques it makes it so much easier to keep up with and learn new trends.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I consider myself creative, I love being able to create beauty with my hands. Specializing in both hair and makeup, I’m often asked which one I think I’m best at but honestly, I’m very strong at both and I enjoy using both skills to make people feel beautiful. I would say people in my community know me for my Glam skills and for working in TV production, mostly on music videos and commercials. I have had the pleasure over the years of working with some of the music industry’s top artists and models throughout my career, and living in Miami has made it very exciting because all the top artists love shooting videos with the beautiful Miami backdrop. My career has been an exciting journey, taking me all over the world getting to travel and do what I love, and at this point in the game, I believe my 20 years of work experience is what sets me apart from the rest. Being a triple threat doing hair, makeup, wardrobe and sometimes even being a 2nd AD just to get the project moving along smoothly, I’m good at making sure my talent feels confident and heard and keeping the vibes up while we shoot. Since opening my salon in 2105, I have had the opportunity to open doors and create jobs for other artists in this industry, as well as providing them with the knowledge and education needed to work in production. I would say that is what I’m most proud of besides making people feel good about themselves, I truly enjoy being able to open doors and being a stepping stone for other artists.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people don’t know that I started a Non-Profit organization in 2018, Reel Girls Society by the Rosie Leyakatalie Foundation. I started this foundation to honor my mother who passed away in 2013 from cancer. She felt it was important to build confidence in young girls, and made sure to always remind me to be an example for girls that may look up to me. So the Reel Girls Society is a film club for girls, they write, produce, direct, and edit their own stories told from the girl’s perspective. Our mission is to educate and inspire young women through film and create avenues within the existing film and media industry for greater inclusion for women of all backgrounds in the future as well as to build leadership and problem-solving skills. I am very excited about this venture, just listening to these young ladies’ ideas and thoughts is very interesting and inspiring and I can’t wait to share their projects with the world. We are always looking for volunteers and we definitely need the support of our community and in need of donations in order to provide the tools the equipment needed to produce our own films. Check out our website to see how you can get involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: ReelGirlsSociety.com
- Instagram: @KeemaChang, @ReelGirlsSociety
