Body painting is one fun and fascinating form of art that falls under the visual art genre. It’s a type of body art in which the artist paints directly onto the skin. Body painting, unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, is only temporary, lasting for a few hours or even a few weeks. International Body Painting Day is celebrated every year on July 8 to signify its importance and show how it is a work series of art and self-expression.
We can break it down into 3 different aspects to understand its reach and significance in different fields:
Religious & Tribal Rituals
Body painting came from when indigenous tribes used to paint themselves to worship gods or to signify certain aspects of the person’s body. Historically speaking, it has an intense international cultural heritage. Tribes that practiced body painting as a ritual, ingrained in spiritual beliefs – to show inner qualities, reflect the image of Gods, to show a person’s rank in the community.
Arts & Entertainment
It’s also a form of performance art, used heavily in theatre and for plays & folklore, an example being Indian festivals and the plays of the Hindu epics. When not used solely for artistic purposes, advertisement & promotional work, used for camouflaging in the military.
Self-Expression
Beauty now has multiple genres and about a million moods to capture through it. Fashion, personal aesthetics, and a craze for an “artsy look” have made people come up with a bunch of creative ideas to showcase their thoughts and talents. Body painting is used to vividly create fashion, modelling industry, cosmetic industry, publications & shoots, etc., have been exploring this form of art to create masterpieces that are displayed to the world.
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