ART + COMMUNICATION + EXPRESSION = INTERACTION

Art has always had a home in my heart. The light of artistic expression guides my pursuit of meaningful interactions, both with others and within. After deciding conventional four-year college wasn't for me, with the encouragement of my parents and friends I stumbled into the doorway of the Graham Webb International Hair Academy. At 19 years old, having never even held a blow dryer, I began studying the art of hair design. From day one I was challenged on so many levels by a group of the most talented people I had ever encountered! As a student, I developed a unique language that would, in years to come, serve as a foundation for further learning. Sitting in classes taught by Vidal Sassoon, Toni and Guy Wella, and Schwarzkopf (just to name a few) became a way for me to re-visit this foundation and watch it grow. By 23, a breaking point in my career, I decided to begin teaching formally and returned to where it all began: Graham Webb.

Communication skills that I learned as a teacher became the key to unlocking a doorway that many of us in the industry have very much overlooked. When teaching, you truly become the student. It always sounded cliché to me until I was surrounded by a group of thirty people, each of who absorbed information in completely different ways. Learning new teaching techniques shifted my perspective yet again, and I realized how disconnected most of us are when working behind the chair, a camera, on a model or on a platform. After teaching I needed to step out and leave my comfort zone. At 24, I moved to California and started massage school. Massage involves a more silent form of communication. Eastern culture had always interested me and I found myself surrounded by it in California. I was challenged to truly look within myself and bring in more openness. While I knew I would not become a massage therapist, a whole new way of working was integrated into my developing skills as a hair designer.

Expression is not easy in a world where many of us feel silenced. Different mediums play a huge part in inspiring my work as a hair designer. Photography is an amazing way to tell the story of our entire journey. You'll find some of my journey highlighted here on the site. The process of creating is the most exciting part of the artistic experience, and capturing an image that just flows, that doesn't need explanation, is exhilarating and reminds us that we do not experience this world independently of others. Who doesn't forget that they are not alone in this world of ours?

This world of mine has been ten years in the making and I am beyond excited to share my adventures with you and look forward to many more years. The most beautiful part of this path has been the amazing support of my family, friends and clients. Their love has kept my passion for creating on fire and a piece of every one of them is flowing through these pages.

So thank u and I hope you enjoy, Luz Alma NAMASTE, Luis Miguel Bujia