Kodo Nishimura is a Buddhist monk, Makeup Artist, LGBTQ Activist, and Model. He was born in Tokyo in 1989. He graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York. After graduating, he started to thrive as a makeup artist, working behind the scenes of Miss Universe and NY Fashion Week.
In 2015, Kodo trained to be a monk and was certified by the Pure Land school. He rose to fame following his appearance in Queer Eye: We're in Japan. They spoke at the United Nations Population Fund, Yale University, and Stanford University as an LGBTQ activist. This attracted wide coverage on the likes of CNN and the BBC.
Kodo was selected by TIME magazine as a Next Generation Leader. His book This Monk Wears Heels (Watkins Publishing) is out now. Kodo's mission is to empower all people sharing Buddhist wisdom with a touch of makeup.
Photo: Seth Miranda