MASUIMI MAX TRIBUTE/2
PAGES 2-4 TRIBUTES – EDITOR’S NOTE: The tributes to Masuimi on the next three pages have been arranged, as far as possible, in alphabetical order by each author’s first name. For layout reasons, that order does vary a little to accommodate some of the featured tributes displayed in light grey boxes throughout the article. All tributes sourced from social media include a link to the original social media page, and all images from third parties (ie not the writer’s own work) are credited and linked where the credit is known. We are happy to add credits and links for any uncredited image if credit info is provided
ALEJANDRA GUERRERO photographer
I WISH THIS was just a bad dream or an ill rumour, but it sadly is not. Absolutely heartbreaking to hear that my dear friend and model Masuimi Max is no longer among us. She was an icon, a muse, a force
of nature, someone so vibrant and warm, she was very special and made you feel special. I will hold on to all my memories of our hangs and shoots like treasures. Fly high my dear. Alejandra Guerrero/Facebook
ALLEN FALKNER piercer, hook suspension performer
MASUIMI AND I were strangers. We’d been divorced for almost 20 years and I can’t even remember the last time we spoke. Needless to say I have complex feelings about the news of her death, and I’m not sure what to say. So, I felt the best way I could honour her memory was to share some old photos and say this:
Allen Falkner would not exist without Masuimi Max. If our paths had not crossed so many years ago, I would not be the person I am today. We had many crazy adventures together. We travelled the world. We created chaos. She was not a candle in the wind. She was a 12-alarm fire. RIP Masuimi Su-Jin Max. Allen Falkner/Facebook
ALYSSA NORMAN designer, Blacklickorish Latex
MASUIMI: SHE WAS always so lovely. I know a lot of people had complicated relationships with her. Regardless, she was an icon — I’m thankful I got to be her friend and work with her. She will be missed.
Alyssa Norman/Facebook
Photo: Viva Van Story/Facebook
DAMIANA CHI dominatrix, educator, sexologist
THIS IMAGE FROM a set shot in 2006 by Allen Falkner was never used because it was an ‘in-between takes’ photo of us laughing together. This is how I always remember her. She had the cutest smile, funniest laugh, and
was a total goofball. She was a full-on badass, but also had a pure, childlike innocence and joy about her that was so charming and rare. She was one of the most genuine and generous people I had ever known.
We used to hang out during my early years in the fetish/kink scene. She was known as a gorgeous, iconic model/performer, but not a lot of people knew how smart she was. She was multi-talented and a techy-nerd. She was her own webmistress who built her own membership sites.
She would sit in the middle of my living room floor in a weird, contorted position as she worked on her laptop. On top of all her busy-ness, she insisted on building me a website for my pro domme business, too. (This was way before template websites — she knew HTML code!)
She kept a messy room like a kid, and her whole bedroom was her closet — there were piles and piles of the coolest fetish clothing (I don’t know how she found anything in there), and she would just give me anything that I said I liked.
We shared a love for Asian foods because we had Asian mothers who cooked for us when we were young. Her mom passed away when she was five, which deeply affected her. She said she loved her most of all.
When the busy-ness of our lives took us in different directions, we spent many years apart, but I’m grateful that our bond remained. We reconnected for a bit last year, and she invited me to her home in Vegas so she could cook for me (again, always giving), but I never did go. I’m glad my last text to her was “I love you”.
I am deeply saddened by her untimely death and cherish her memory. She will be missed by thousands. We can only find solace in knowing that she now rests in peace. There will never be another Masuimi Max. (Note: Thanks to the prudes at IG, some photos had to be doctored. Masuimi was actually wearing a rope body harness, which was Photoshopped-out and a fake bra put on. Damiana Chi/Facebook
DORALBA PICERNO photographer
THE LOSS OF Masuimi has really shaken me. To be gone so young is a tragic loss. She was, among other things, a fantastic model. Very generous and creative, and a lot of fun to work with. She features in multiple images on five pages in my book Girls (spread detail above).
And since there is a fundraising campaign for her memorial and other expenses, I plan to donate the proceeds of all sales of my book to that fund until midnight UK time on Sunday March 17, to help my friend Cameron Mouat (Morat) at this incredibly difficult time.
All copies sold will be signed by me and posted after March 17. £25+ postage (varies with destination) — please PM me on Facebook for payment details. Doralba Picerno/Facebook
BEATRICE NEUMANN photographer
FRIENDS AND FANS of Masuimi Max will probably know that Masuimi and I did at least 50-60 shoots together over the years. Some were published in magazines (French Max, @inkedmag NYC, various US and EU mags), but most of them have most likely never been publicly shared.
Masuimi and I were close friends for a number of years and I loved shooting her.
She had a paid membership site 20 years ago (iamtrouble.com) — she used them for that, and posted a few elsewhere online.
So… presumably most of these have never been seen by most people, so I am going to post share them for y’all soon. We will mourn together, giggle together and keep Miss Max in our hearts together.
Beatrice Neumann/Facebook
EVILYN13 model, cosplayer, DJ, Sin City events co-host
I HAVE NO words. We lost an icon. A fabulous performer, a fireball of a personality and a beautiful soul. RIP Masuimi Max.
Below is an extract from the tribute Evilyn — above right with Masuimi — wrote for Canada’s free mag Absolute Underground, recalling the first time Masuimi came to Vancouver to perform for Sin City Fetish Night, in 2012:
“We wanted to bring an international superstar in to celebrate our milestone event and our first pick was her. Masuimi had this magnetic energy and firecracker personality that attracted everyone to her.
“She posed for pictures and hung out with attendees and rocked out on the dance floor, essentially setting the standard for us for every future performer we every brought to Vancouver.
“Masuimi performed her Unicorn burlesque, which included her famous ‘assles’ (which were pasties on her butt cheeks) that she shook for a roaring crowd.
“She requested we provide a couple of cartons of milk for this performance, and without thinking, we refrigerated them.
“It must have been a shock when that ice-cold milk splashed onto her body in the middle of her performance, but she didn”t show any sign
of discomfort. She had the crowd begging formore as she sauntered offstage.”
You can read Evilyn13’s full Absolute Underground tribute on Facebook here: Evilyn13/Facebook
GLENN CATAPANO owner and founder, Fetish Factory
WE WERE SO sad to learn that our personal and professional friend Masuimi Max had passed away. Masuimi (shown above assisting Allen Falkner with his hook suspension at an FF event) has crossed the bridge and we can only hope she is at peace.
Donna and I first met Masuimi in Las Vegas, where she grew up, when she was just a teenager modelling at a trade show. We hit it off and flew her to Forida where she would subsequently perform for Fetish Factory no less than 15 times. Such fun!
Masuimi was a unicorn and will be missed by the world fetish community; her accomplishments over the years were incredible. By the late ’90s she was the top fetish model in the world, published by Skin Two, Marquis and countless mainstream publications like Playboy, Maxim and others
Her performances at Fetish Factory always kept our crowd on their toes and her stage presence and confidence were like no other performers we encountered over the years. Her contributions to the world fetish community are cherished and never will be forgotten.
Glenn Catapano/FFW 29 Group/Facebook
GORDON HAWTIN photographer
I FIRST STARTED photographing Masuimi in 2001 at London events the Skin Two Rubber Ball (left) and Erotica (right). She was always very pleasant towards me when I
asked if I could photograph her. But I was always too frightened to ask her to pose topless, even though that was my speciality!
Gordon (Rondelle) Hawtin/Facebook
GOTHIC IMAGE photographer
MY BEST MEMORY of Masuimi comes from the evening a bunch of us including her and Tony Mitchell went to the Star Trek-themed restaurant in Las Vegas after Bondcon 2004. I was sitting across the table from Tony with my camera and captured him being ‘surprised’ by Ms Max (see also Tony’s piece on page 1).
We were taking turns to buy drinks and she went off to buy a round. She came back with a tray of drinks and a smile on her face. She said: “When I get carded [asked for ID], I find that I get much better service when, instead of showing my driving licence, I show my concealed carry permit”! Gothic-Image.com
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