Melis Bayraktar, an accomplished professional with Austrian and Turkish heritage from a family of archaeologists, graduated from Bilkent University with a degree in Communication and Design from 2004 to 2008. She primarily focused on filmmaking, culminating in her thesis project, the surreal film "Butterflies Under the Rainbow." After completing her studies, she moved to Canada to pursue education in Practical and Special Effects and Creature Design. Recognized for her unique talent, Melis began working in the film industry while still a student. Since 2010, she has been active in film, television, and opera. Her first venture was Sinister Rouge Make-up FX Studio, which she co-founded with Jen Roomes. She then went on to work on significant productions, including "Defiance," "Man Seeking Woman," "Suicide Squad," and "XXX: Return of Xander Cage" , "Cowboy War." Melis eventually relocated to the United States to join Art Tech, a company known for building large sculptures for the Burning Man festival. After two years in the desert, she returned to Toronto and established her studio, "Portraits in Wonderland."
This multidisciplinary company specializes in custom prop and wearable art fabrication, makeup effects, photography, editing, branding, and design. During this time, she also served as an Advanced Prosthetics Professor at Sheridan College. After successfully running her studio for several years, Melis moved back to Austria to work at some of the world's most prestigious opera stages, including the Vienna State Opera and Bregenzer Festspiele. These venues are highly competitive, hiring only the most talented artists globally. Following her accomplishments in Europe, Melis returned to Canada and resumed her work in the industry. She has since added tattooing to her skill set and continues to push the boundaries of innovative and unconventional art.
