ISIDORA CALDOVIC
- 7 hours ago
- 8 min read
Makeup artist & visual creator
Isidora Ćaldović works at the edge of shadow and shine, between control and play. Her pieces rely on texture, layering, and contrast, with an attention to detail that registers at first glance.
Her story begins in fashion, takes her from Belgrade to Bologna, and then unfolds into make-up, special effects, and visual narratives where the face becomes a canvas and identity a material to explore. Her work brings together rawness and precision, Baroque references and contemporary expression, sensuality and unease. It reveals itself most clearly in the details, in the way she joins extremes with elegance while staying entirely true to her own logic.
In this conversation, she speaks about process, about the need for a personal signature, about darkness as a space of freedom, and about make-up as a tool for expression rather than decoration. It is a conversation about making, about choices, and about building a visual language, layer by layer.
Let’s go back to the beginning. Fashion first took you from Belgrade to Bologna. What were you looking for then, and what did you discover about yourself and your taste along the way?
At 16, I already knew I wanted more. I just did not know what that meant. Perhaps I still do not have one final definition, but I know the direction I am moving in.
I moved to Bologna in 2019. I was looking for new experiences, broader horizons, an adventure, a shift. Leaving your own country is one of the biggest changes you can make. I wanted new cultures, a different way of living, and independence. Learning to be alone with yourself is not easy, even on familiar ground. It becomes even harder when you step into a new place.
At first, it felt like a film. Everything fell into place, opportunities appeared, I met new people, and it was fun. It still is. Back then, though, there was a certain naivety. Then Covid happened. I see it as a turning point for all of us, a crossroads we had to pass in order to reach another destination.
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, and each of us carries a personal idea of what feels attractive. I have always been drawn to the unusual, slightly twisted. I admire the courage it takes to be different, regardless of what others might think.
Along the way, I realised I had become exactly that, even if I had been moving towards it unconsciously. I understood that I am not for everyone, and that I do not need everyone around me. I am communicative and open, yet I value my alone time, and that need has grown over the years. Those moments take me back to my baseline. That is when I create best.
I call it creating, because every form of expression is a form of creation. Creating something beautiful, something eccentric, sometimes morbid or grotesque, but always creating. It has become part of my daily life, and in those moments I feel most complete. Alive.
My taste has shifted from year to year, yet one element has stayed constant and now feels like part of my personality. Black. Darkness. There is a certain freedom in what is dark. Black remains black, and the combinations are endless. It can feel elegant, sensual, bold, extreme. It adapts to every personality.
My taste continues to evolve. Discovering new places, textures, colour combinations, and discovering myself again on different levels, feels almost magical. Tastes change, just as the world around us changes. That is one of the quiet pleasures of time passing.
Fashion was your starting point, and then make-up became your main language. When did you realise it could carry your own visual voice?
I would say it happened after Covid. When I was younger, I actually disliked make-up. No one would guess that today, but it is true. It started with rhinestones carefully placed on my face, then came glitter.
Pro tip: if you want to sparkle, nail glitter works perfectly. Apply a thin layer of eyelash glue or, even better, glitter glue. If you are not used to it, you might feel a bit of weight on the eyelid at first, but you adjust quickly. Once it dries slightly, add the glitter. Et voilà. Shine that lasts until you remove it. Simple, quick, effective. Always a good combination.
Glitter became the second half of my identity, alongside darkness. I know, I am a walking paradox. I love extremes. Moving from one edge to another has always felt natural to me. When darkness is present, glitter stands out even more. Contrast draws the eye. The play of light and shadow is an old story.
After glitter came colour and shape, then texture. Little by little, my curiosity about make-up turned into something deeper, into a need for a personal signature. That need led me to IAM, the Institute of Art and Make-Up in Bologna. Through that school I earned my professional certificate and entered the world of special effects. It opened new perspectives, introduced new techniques and remarkable people, and I remain grateful for that.
Are there artists who inspire you more through the way they think than through their style?
Definitely. In make-up, that would be Mei Pang, Danessa Myricks, Ellis Atlantis, James Vincent, Joey Elliot, Ophelia Liu, Yan Fang, and Vanessa Davis. The list could go on, but these are some of my favourites.
Beyond make-up, Lady Gaga comes first, and then the others follow. Steven Meisel, Marius Sperlich, Rihanna, Henrik Aa. Uldalen, Dolaana Davaa, Darya Krutsyuk, and Jack Vettriano are among the artists I see as references and constant sources of inspiration.
Each of them carries a distinct signature and a way of thinking that I find compelling. Their work pulls you in. It makes you look, think, or listen.
Then there are books, an endless source of inspiration. When you read, you rely on words and your own imagination. That feels priceless. Certain eras influence me as well. The Baroque period, for instance, has shaped many of my recent creations.
When you begin a new piece, what is your first concrete step, and how do you build the entire look from there?
It depends on the look. Each one begins with a concept, which can appear in different forms. Sometimes it is an image in my mind, sometimes a feeling or a single word. At times it connects to a particular artwork or a colour palette. The possibilities are endless.
After that comes research, which is my favourite part. Pinterest becomes my closest ally. I see visual research as just as important as reading and studying texts. I can spend hours there, making sure I miss nothing.
Details matter to me deeply. I believe so much of what surrounds us lives in the details. I also believe everything has its place and unfolds for a reason.
There is another side to creating. I sit in front of the mirror and feel drawn to a colour. Maybe I want blue that day, or red. In those moments I follow instinct and let my hands lead. Those sessions feel liberating. They step outside classic beauty standards and carry their own soul. For me, they bring relief.
You use masks, layers, 3D elements, and strong textures. Which part of the process gives you the most joy, and which skill has allowed you to create such complex work?
I do not rank my skills. They form a personal archive of everything I have learned since childhood.
Getting my hands dirty for the sake of art has never been an issue. The need to express myself has always been there. Studying fashion helped shape me, from colour theory to experimenting with textures and techniques. It gave me the confidence to approach make-up from another angle, to see it not only as enhancement but as expression and exploration. It can shape identity, shift it, and become play. The possibilities are vast, and that is how I grew to love something I once resisted.
I enjoy the painting stage most. I can spend hours refining details. The mix of techniques, colours, and textures brings a strong sense of fulfilment once the work is finished. It is difficult to put that feeling into words.
The skull mask with golden ornaments, created as part of your special effects graduation project, feels like one of your most complex works. How long did it take, how did you approach it from the first idea to the final form, and what felt most important to preserve in that process?
In special effects, it is one of my most complex pieces. The entire journey lasted about a year, as classes were once a week. The active work itself took around two to three months.
I have always been drawn to anatomy and skulls. They fascinate me. One of my favourite series growing up was Bones. While many see this theme as morbid because it relates to death, I also see it as a story about life. Without bones, we could not function. Without a skull, our brain would not be protected.
My first character is called The Queen of Death.
When our professor asked us to create original characters, copying an existing film figure never crossed my mind. I wanted something entirely mine. It had to be dark. It needed horns. I wanted Baroque elements and a sense of weight. To achieve a regal feeling, I added gold. I wanted to merge fear and elegance, to show that something many people find frightening can also feel striking and beautiful.
In your graduation project, you look at seduction as psychology and power, and translate it into a fashion language. What felt most important to express, and where do you see these ideas continuing in your work with make-up and special effects today?
To seduce someone means to hold a certain power over them. It sounds dramatic, but it does not have to be.
Each of us wants to be drawn in by something or someone. That means each of us can be seduced. The question is what moves us. Knowing how to work with that is a form of power. Depending on context and intention, it can lead to positive or negative outcomes.
Winning someone over to your idea is not simple. Some people seem born with that ability. Others learn it. That is why so much research has been done on the subject. Psychological, physical, material. The archive is vast.
Understanding what someone wants to see on their face is far from easy. When clients place deep trust in you and you shape their appearance, you carry responsibility. You influence identity. Seduction enters quietly or directly, especially when someone does not know exactly what they want.
With special effects, the principle remains, though the field widens and the options feel freer. The aim is visual transformation. Imagination steps forward and takes the lead. The work itself does the speaking.
In the end, knowing how to deal with people matters in every field. The ability to read a situation and respond with care shapes everything around us.
Looking at where you stand now, after the academy and further training, what excites you most at this moment, and where would you like to go next?
Honestly? The fact that I am buying a motorbike in a few months.
Jokes aside, I would like to focus more on editorial make-up and the fashion scene. I am also drawn to fantasy projects with bold characters. Film remains an option, though I am still weighing that direction. Every experience tells its own story.
For now, my focus is on social media, exploring what TikTok and Instagram can offer. I believe they hold real potential.
I want make-up, and artistic creation in general, to become my everyday professional reality. That is where my thoughts are now. Life may lead me further still.
With her, everything comes down to one choice: to see the face as a space of freedom. Sometimes through darkness and horns, sometimes through glitter that glows against black, sometimes through colour that insists on its place that day. From fashion to special effects, she builds her visual language through process, research, and details she returns to again and again.
Editorial make-up and the fashion world feel close. Fantasy projects call strongly. Film remains under consideration. Between all of that stands her method: concept, research, detail, and only then the final look.
Isidora Caldovic
