By Perekeme Odon
Groundbreaking make-up artist,
Gabriel Okorie is a
Nigerian multiple award-winning filmmaker, actor, art director, production
designer, a stunt coordinator, and of Africa’s most decorated makeup artist renowned for special
effect make-up designs in the Nigerian
motion picture industry; the
global African brand tagged Nollywood.
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Gabriel Okorie
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Gabriel has lived a lot of life with a roster of clients far beyond his
years and has been painting famous faces such as Omotola Ekeinde-Jalade, Genevieve
Nnaji, Stephanie Okereke-Linus since far before he could start winning awards
without parental consent.
Raised in Owerri, the capital of Imo state
on the Eastern coast of Nigeria, Gabriel spent his childhood unconsciously
creating all kinds of art while always feeling a gravitational pull towards
drawing.
With over 26 years of industry experience, Gabriel’s status
as one of the pioneer makeup artist in Nollywood is renowned and unparalleled. Having
served at the Ogun State Council for Arts and Cultural, Abeokuta with the hope
of securing a job with a bank or oil company, he found himself in Nollywood as
an actor courtesy of Basorge Tariah Junior whom they served together until he
met Zeb Ejiro at the audition of Faces.
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Gabriel On A Pose With His Awards & Plaques |
“After
facing minor roles, one day I attended an audition and was cast to play a lead
role in the movie ‘Faces’, but when Zeb Ejiro who was the director of the movie
showed up, he signified his interest on someone younger to play the role since
the character is meant to be in the secondary school. Afterward that encounter,
Zeb Ejiro showed interest in me and introduced me to his brother, Chico Ejiro
and his associates. ”
He was engaged in the Chico Ejiro’s Grand
Touch Picture family as a production assistant even though he wanted to become
an actor, but discovered his strongest point was not in acting and decided to
take up makeup since he was good at sketching and hairstyling. Chico Ejiro
noticed his drawing and styling skills and immediately sent him for further
training to apprentice under the tutelage of the iconic Dagogo Diminas-Jack who
recruited him into his professional production design management team, 13 FATMAN
& Associates as a makeup assistant in 1995 to horn his skill in an age when
the concept of beauty and special effect makeup was still new to Nigeria.
Gabriel has stayed current on the emerging
techniques and a force to reckon with in the industry with major classical commercials
and documentaries aside lending his magic touch to an array of films like, After School Hours, Lost Kingdom, King Jaja
of Opobo, Out of Cage, festival of Fire, and Egg of Life amongst
many others. With decades of experience in Nollywood, the list of players who
rely on him day in and day out run long.
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Gabriel Okorie On A Movie Set Of 'Call The Sun'
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The filmmaker who developed an obsessive
knowledge of the industry sees
every job as a challenge. “I have been
lucky enough to be surrounded by lots of talented creative minds, and have come to learn not to see any work as easy because
if you do so, you may find yourself performing below expectations. What makes GabaZzini
Koncept standout is because we take all genres of production seriously and don’t
compromise standards. Even when a script is flat, we try on our best to bring
life into it by creating good characterizations through makeup effects.” He declared.
The makeup designer world over is hired by
the producer during pre-production and begins by reading the script. “He or she must identify the period,
location, mood, and any specific descriptions in the text that must be
reflected on the actor’s face; like scars, wounds, or other significant
physical features. This is especially challenging when preparing for fantasy,
classic, and epic productions comparable to Azima and Egg of Life. Depending on the skills of the designer,
a special effects makeup designer may be hired to concentrate on latex work and
other facial prosthetics.” He stated.
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Gabriel Okorie & Prince Jide Kosoko On 'Posh Battle'
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Since his first expedition to climb the
Nollywood rock along with his talent and ingenuity, the Isiala Ngwa North, Abia State-born
filmmaker who is popularly known as GabaZzini by his
colleagues who generously shares his knowledge on filmmaking has gone on to
achieve countless national and continental accolades.
His multiple awards include
Best Makeup Artist, Pan Africa Movie Award in Ghana (2003); Best Achievement in
Make-Up, Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA 2007 Azima,), Best Achievement in Make-Up (AMAA 2010 The Child); Best Make-Up Artist,
Nigerian Movies Award (NMA 2012), The
Mirror Boy, South East Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Best Make-Up Artist 2010,
2012, 2015, and 2018 respectively. He also won the
2017 Golden Icons Academy Awards (GIAMA) Best Makeup Artist of the Year
with the movie Invasion 1876 directed
by Lancelot Oduwa-Imasuen.
The Aladinma Housing Estate
Primary School, Owerri alumnus got nominated at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers’
Choice Award (AMVCA) with The Mirror Boy
and missed narrowly to Jacqui
Bannermen’s Otelo Burning.
He was again nominated at the Best Art Director’s category with Stephanie
Okereke’s Dry and Dagogo Diminas’ Stigma at the Best Makeup category in 2016
AMVCA respectively.
The bachelor’s degree graduate
of English Language and Literature of Abia State University, Uturu prominent make-up techniques have made him a favourite
amongst the Nollywood crowd who are always inspired by his artistic art &
design overflowing with beautiful make-ups put together through innovative
creativity and artistic vision with his powerful make-up teams to provide
insights into their astounding accomplishments that reveals timelessness in
beauty.
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Gabriel Okorie & Afro Beats Artist, Jaywon On Set
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“The design process is about telling a story, and a makeup artist paints that
story in colour. The actor emotes through his or her body and face, but it is
the makeup designer’s task to enhance that emotion and help convey the character.”
He asserted.
The NUJ graduate and University of Uyo
post-graduate diploma in Dramatic Arts advises makeup artists to always
endeavour to be creatively responsive to their craft with accepted standards of morality,
respectability, and decency in expediting their
duties. He indicated that “Costumiers and
makeup artists get closer to the cast than any other member of the production
staff. Dressing bodies and painting faces is an intimate process that requires
someone who is both discreet and polite—it doesn’t hurt to be a good
conversationalist (with sweet-smelling breath); stay current on emerging techniques.
With time and
several credits under your belt, you will make the steps forward from makeup
assistant to artist and eventually designer. He
professed.
The people that work in the effects
industry are truly the artisans of the 21st century because it's based on art
and not commerce. If the motivation was commerce and money-making, they sure
would not be working in this industry but off working in more lucrative fields.
Becoming a special effects makeup artist in Nollywood (or any other filmmaking
hub) is a difficult proposition. You, therefore, need to get creative. That’s
simply because, more so than in other areas of the film industry, the career
path for special effects makeup artists is faced with stiff competition.
This is increasingly true in all major cities with a thriving film community,
cities like Asaba, Enugu, Owerri, and Jos…but especially Lagos. The sad truth is
that there are more makeup artists than there are jobs unlike years ago when we
started.
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Gabriel Okoro With Actor Zubby Michael On Set
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“We're
in a very unique and special place in the FX industry. This may not always be
the case but for the past 25 years that I've been in business, it has always
been the case. If we have too much work on offer we pass it on to our nearest
competitor. If we need someone, because we're overextended and need to meet a
deadline, I'll ring our nearest competitor. Within the industry, we share staff
and expertise. We work with the considered thought that there are no
secrets and within the model and creature effects industry there are
publications where you can share all and everything that you've discovered and
learned on each new film because it's the cross-pollination of ideas that
allows the industry to grow.” He acknowledged.
At the dawn of the millennium in the year 2000,
Gabriel gave back to the industry with the establishment of GabaZzini Koncept; a
freelance advanced professional creative art and design company on a wild and
wonderful roller coaster ride to inspired young and upcoming make-up artists,
which has become a vital part of many professional make-up artists’ education.
“Establishing GabaZzini Koncept 20 years ago
is for my own professional development but also to share the knowledge gained
over the years to people who are just starting. I'm as passionate today as
the day I started out. For me, it has to be fulfilling creatively before
anything else. Even if we are in need of work we will turn down opportunities
if they are not creatively fulfilling do not offer a creative reward. All I
want to do is impart knowledge and create,” he says. “I’m always
thinking, what’s the legacy going
to be. I want people to look back 20, 50, 100 years from now on my work
and think, Damn, that was a time.
GabaZzini Koncept will be celebrating its 20 years anniversary in December, and
I give God the glory.”
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Gabriel Okorie Ad Judas Iscariot On The Set Of 'Our Jesus Story'
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Amongst many groups, the
Emmanuel Secondary School, Owerri ex-student is a founding member of the
Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria (CDGN) in 2002; a guild that oversees the functionality of costume, props, makeup, and property in the Nigerian motion
picture industry. He is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and Association
of Enugu state MC and Comedians.
Some of Okorie’s best-known film work includes Azima (2007), Azubuike
Erinugha’s The Asylum (2010),
The Child (2010), Obi Emelonye’s The Mirror Boy (2011), Obi Emelonye’s Last
Flight To Abuja (2012), Dagogo
Diminas’ Stigma (2013) and Stephanie Okereke’s
Dry (2015). Others include Genevieve Nnaji’s Lion Heart (2017).
His hobbies are reading,
writing, and creating. He is happily married with children.
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Gabriel Okorie & Wife
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GabaZzini Koncept
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Awards & Plaques |
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Awards & Plaques |
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Gabriel On A Pose With His Awards & Plaques | | | |
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GabaZzini In A Gun Pose Acting |
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Gabriel On The Set Of All For Love
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Gabriel Giving Back To The Industry Through A Master Class Programme
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Gabriel In A Pose With His Warriors |
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Gabriel Costuming Zack Orji
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Production Design By GabaZzini Koncept
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Gabriel On The Set Of 'Our Jesus Story'
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Gentle Jack- Make-Up Design By GabaZzini Koncept
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Gabriel Okorie As Art Director On Set Of 'SoulMate' |
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Gabriel Making Up Ebere Okaro On 'Men's Code'
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