About the Artist

Growing up, Pia was not allowed to watch horror movies or scary TV shows. Naturally, she became a professional Special FX makeup artist. Since 2014, Pia has been simultaneously delighting and terrifying families, small children, and clients with her haunted house monsters, creepy masks, bloody wounds, burns, cuts, and bruises. She serves the Chicagoland area but is happy to travel for events, theater or film production, photo shoots, or lessons for cosplay clients.

Pia employs a sense of realism with SFX aging or wounds. Knowledge of anatomy and attention to detail are key when applying bald caps, laying hair, and applying just the right amount of blood (and sometimes guts) around bullet or puncture wounds.

Besides her love of realistic gore, Pia cites character design as her favorite part of Special FX makeup. From original concept sketches to final airbrush application, she never tires of watching clients look in the mirror and not recognize themselves. There is power in the ability to transform a young girl into a magical fairy, a teenage boy into a forest druid, or a young man into a cranky grandpa. SFX makeup not only can elevate an actor’s performance, it can mesmerize the audience as well.

Pia attended Kosart Studios and earned certificates in mask making, monster dentures, extreme face painting, airbrush, and makeup FX. She stays on top of the latest industry trends by attending classes including Face and Body Art at Jinny Houle’s Workshop at FABAIC, Avi Ram’s Airbrush and Body Painting Workshop, as well as all things character-related via videos from the venerable Stan Winston.

Pia’s work has appeared in AMOUR and Wicked-VIsion Magazines. She would love to help bring your next gore/fantasy/Sci-Fi character to life.