For Thomas de Kluyver, makeup is limitless: a tool allowing for the possibilities of infinite transformations. A makeup artist who combines a deeply-felt connection with his craft, together with a strong desire to break through its boundaries, the Australian-born, London-based de Kluyver has established himself as a singular talent in the terrain of beauty. His body of image making to date is testament to de Kluyver’s global reputation as a new kind of makeup artist: one who is powerfully attuned to the subversion of gender and beauty norms that define this generation.

For de Kluyver, his longheld collaborations are what make for lasting, meaningful work and are reflective of his position among a new breed of global fashion creatives. To date, he has collaborated with photographers including Harley Weir, Zoe Ghertner, Tyler Mitchell, Carlijn Jacobs, and Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, and stylists such as Lotta Volkova, Marie Chaix and Robbie Spencer. He has worked on runway and campaign looks for Miu Miu, Hermès, Simone Rocha, Jean Paul Gaultier and Acne Studios. His editorials and personal projects have appeared in titles such as i-D, Double, Self Service, The Face, AnOther, M le Monde and Dazed, where he currently holds the title of Contributing Beauty Editor. De Kluyver’s unique stamp on beauty artistry led to his appointment as Global Colour and Makeup Artist for Gucci, collaborating on the beauty direction for their campaigns and runway shows, as well as technical consultation on future cosmetics.

In 2019, de Kluyver brought together existing and new work in his first book, ‘All I Want To Be’ (IDEA): garnering significant attention in the global press, it’s a definitive document of his ongoing mission to deconstruct and experiment with beauty in all its forms. “I’m always trying to push the idea of using makeup as a form of self-expression. It’s a book that aims to break down prescribed ideas of beauty and gender, vanity and identity.