NU YOU MAGAZINE 1997

Q: Just how did you started your career in Hong Kong?
A: Why is everybody interested in these questions?

Q: It is because to the readers, they are very interested to know how their fellow country man managed to make a mark for himself overseas?
A: Very easy because everybody is doing the same thing. Take your portfolio and go knocking on every opportunity. For the beginning it's like that. Most people will say "No!" to you because you are still new. Luckily there's still one or two who had decided to let me work on, giving me some confidence to let me stay on (in Hong Kong). Eventually, I begin settling down with more prospect and therefore ventured into the entertainment industry to work with some of the artists. Naturally, as time goes by, more and more artists begin to approach me to work with them.

Q: Where do they (the artistes) manage to see your productions?
A: From my occasional magazine covers! Like City Beat, where they think that I am quite suitable for them. Once you get engaged, there'll be more to come. Some connections is through knowing photographers, or that an artist's personal make-up artist is not free at the moment and in desperate need of one. Therefore the photographers will say to the artistes, "Why not use Zing? He's just arrived in Hong Kong, quite good actually..."

Q: When is the turning point of your career?
A: I think making up for Ms Faye Wong is a big career move. Actually that's quite unbelievable. When I was working with City Beat, I was surprised to do a cover shot for Faye and that also happens to be her first City Beat Cover Grrl. That was also when she was beginning to be a house hold name. However, nobody ever liked that makeup style, I personally also didn't like it and Faye obviously hated it. But she did not speak up. Later when she was supposed to film 3 MTVS, there was no one appointed to do her makeup, therefore the production's house director hired me to do the makeup for Faye. That makeup was terrible, terribly atrocious! And Faye was very unhappy and I was thinking that perhaps she might be thinking that I was a very lousy makeup artist, because I really did not bring out any beauty in her.

Q: Is it _that_ ugly?
A: Yes! Maybe it's due to my bad judgement! Many a times, making up is not just about skills, but also about sense. "Sense" is a very important thing because if one thing is badly positioned, you'll have to fix the whole thing. However you can't totally say that I am at fault! As the photography of Faye wasn't that impressive, and the whole image was ruined because of bad coordination's. Faye didn't flare up,but we didn't collaborate again. Anyway, she was always doing her own makeup, until one day she approached me!

Q: What was the reason for her (Faye) for looking you up again?
A: I really do not know. I'd asked her before and she too didn't knew the reasons, just let me work with her again. Maybe because my other projects had inspired her, and that my skills has improved significantly and supported by others.

Q: Other than Faye, who do you work with?
A: Sally Yeh, Karen Mok, Kelly Chen, Sammi Cheng, Sandy Lam, Wu Qian Lian, Chou Hui Min, Wen Bi Xia, Li Chi (wife of Jet Li), Anthony Wong...

Q: What is the before-after difference on making up for celebrities?
A: It's influential, as it has become a "play-thing" (direct translation), has become a fashion trend, and we've somehow pioneered the idea. And we can say we have opened up a new market! Everyone in Hong Kong just wants to be avant garde, opening up the door for creativity. Therefore I am very proud to be able to be accepted in the market, to fit in with the things they like and initiate some changes to let the market accept me. Although one's ability is limited, what I say is to do your best.

Q: "Weird make-up", do you think that it's important to an artiste?
A: Clean, pretty, natural make-up will never go out of style. Forever will be "in" and I am not saying that I am only able and like to do weird makeup. It's only when the occasion calls for it. 80% of the makeup I've done are all beautiful. When there are times when you can be a weirdo and do strange stuffs? Very few.

Q: How do you improve your makeup techniques and skills? Do you read up and gather from foreign sources?
A: We can almost improve on almost anything. Picking up influences from foreign sources are definitely one of the factors. Not asking you to imitate! But you have to understand where they got their inspiration from then on. Although our market is rather slow, we can never say that it is backward! We have to prepare and practice before anything else happens! It doesn't really help to do last minute projects upon seeing something that inspires you. It's not that you had no chance to develop, you do not learn, try to break through. Strike while the iron's hot. Not wait until that moment and then prepare. Sorry, you're chance is gone. That's why I never stop working.

Q: What do you do when you're not working?
A: Although I am trying to relax, I am still working. Eat, make-up, sleep, make-up, breathe, make-up.

Q: There's no time to rest? Don't you go to the disco at night?
A: I don't like the nightlife here in Hong Kong. (Is it so terrible?) Everyone think that the nightlife here is exciting, actually it's very bad. Hong Kong is boring, not fun, nothing compared to Singapore. I used to like clubbing but the disco's in Hong Kong made me hate them.

Q: So do you like the food in Hong Kong?
A: No. I hate Hong Kong's food fare is the most disgusting. We usually have our meals at the diner where we can take-away. It's like one heap of rice, then another heap of vegetables "slapped" on top. There's something wrong with the eating attitude of the Hong Kong people.

Q: So you only stay in Hong Kong for your career?
A: NO! I like Hong Kong. I like the beat of the city, here in Hong Kong.

Q: Do you think everything is fast-paced in Hong Kong?
A: Yes, but it also has its mesmerizing part to it.

Q: Which part of Hong Kong do you have the most feeling for?
A: The longer the duration I am in Hong Kong, the better it gets with time. I already feel like a part of them. Not saying that I no longer feel like a Singaporean, or I belong to Hong Kong. I do not mean it that way. For every place, every city, I want to be part of it. If I am at Singaporean, I am a Singaporean. If I am in Hong Kong then I am a Hongki. I do not see myself as an outsider.

8 DAYS ISSUE #418 1998

8 Days : Why did you go to Hong Kong to work?
Zing : I'd been here on holiday before and thought it was a fun place. On that trip, I had planned on being here for only a month; I didn't think I was going to stay for so long.

Having built a Svengalian reputation for giving celebritites stunning looks, do you see yourself as a mastermind who pulls the strings from behind the stage?
No, no! In fact I'm very lucky because I get to work with these beautiful people. I am what I am because of them.

What's it like to work with Faye?
My first assignment with her was the cover of City Beat Magazine and it was a disaster. The second was a music video and it bombed too. She didn't work with me for a long time after that. Then her photographer [Cheung Man Wah] suggested that I do one of her album covers and it started to get better from there. I learned a lot from my mistakes. now, we know each other so well, I know what's good for her, and what she wants and doesn't wants.

Has being pals with so many stars changed your working relationship with them?
I spent 99% of my time at work. everything about me is in Hong Kong is work. It's inevitable that my clients and artists become my friends - it's not just Faye. really, I don't see the stars who are my friends as being any different from anybody else.

Why did you become a make-up artist?
Originally I had hoped to study theatre in London. But I also considered doing make-up part time until someone told me make-up is something you either do full time or you don't do at all. So I did it.

Why the name 'Zing', and what's your real name?
Zing was a pet name I got in school - it's shortened form my hanyu pinyin name - and I just kept it as my professional name. And there's no need to know my real name because it's irrelevant.