Disguise
Razzie Bacchus is a 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student at Newcastle University.
Could you tell me about your start in cosplay?
It all comes back to high school when I used to do portrait paintings on oil canvas. As my Fine Art project - I got A star in A-level overall. Used to do portraits of my friends, myself... I was inspired by the Old Masters: Botticelli, Caravaggio and Rembrandt in particular.
Unfortunately, as I started university I've never had the time or a proper chance to continue painting. Instead, I've chosen to focus more on photography and make my photos look artistic or cinematic even. One of my inspirations is this great photographer Cindy Sherman, who specialises in photographs that look like film stills and heavy use of disguises. I do not have the greatest camera or camera skills, so I tried to do cosplay to somewhat mimic this style.
As I started uni, I've been invited to house parties and I thought to myself: Maybe I could try to put some more effort into it? Maybe even try to look like my favourite character? A kind of that you're always wanted to portray?
What character did you start with?
Actually, I always loved dressing up, when I was a little girl. For example, back in primary school, I used to be the first to get to the dressing up box, when it was open. There was usually quite a bit of fighting over it. One time, to avoid arguing, I gave up and improvised. I ended up using loo roll for my hair - a very long train of it, too. I was this white princess, you see. I remember that one outfit so well. It's a shame that I don't have any pictures of it. I got in trouble for that actually.
Well, you definitely represent an unconventional approach to cosplay.
It is not all about the outfits. What I am trying to do with the photos I take, is to capture the emotions of my characters. At the same time, I deliberately try to make cosplays look raw. Give them a more relatable feeling.
What inspires you?
For instance, the shoot that we did together was heavily fashion inspired. Instead of dressing directly as the character, I came up with a female version of a male character. Also, going through a female to male facial structure requires a lot of time and characterisation. To get a masculine facial shape I would have to use clay and then cover it up with makeup.
Instead, I went with a female version, I used my own clothes. For that, I was inspired by the style of the punk movement from the 1980s. The character is also from mange from that period. I decided to just go with it, I did some random poses and I am quite happy with the result.
It all started simply as putting a bit more effort into going out outfits and you seem like a professional cosplayer now. Where do you think it will go in the future?
*laughs* I am not a professional cosplayer, I am definitely not on that level. I am just a person who likes to express themselves through photography and disguise. It is my side project, while I am at university, as oil painting takes even more time and effort. To be honest, I am not sure where it is gonna go.
