HAIRDRESSER Leslie Henshaw considers himself to be an artist.

“I compare what I do to sculpting, but instead of just working with a lump of clay, hair changes all the time so whether you’ve got thick hair, fine hair, the product is always changing and you’ve got to put a lot of thought into what you’re creating,” 22-year-old Leslie says.

“I’m working with an ever-changing medium… I love that I get to be creative.”

[portfolio_slideshow]

Leslie has been hairdressing for six years and is on the verge of achieving global recognition as a finalist in the FAME competition, run by “Australian Hairdressers Journal” and open to any Australian hairdresser under the age of 30.

“I’ve made my way to this point by entering various other competitions, but I’ve never entered anything of this magnitude before,” says Leslie who studied hairdressing at Goulburn TAFE and now works at Bond Hair Religion in Green Square, Kingston.

The look he achieves is inspired by strong shapes and strong lines.

“My aim was to do something really creative and out there,” he says.

“I wanted to create strong, bold shapes that hadn’t been seen anywhere before.”

The final FAME team of four hairdressers will visit the US and the UK to gain experience in education, runway and photographic work. The four winners will be announced on Monday, July 9.