Body Adornment Is it about beauty, self-expression or something else?

What defines beauty or self-expression? How much is culturally dictated/accepted?

Where do you draw the line?.....do you draw a line? b-jlg

Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and Muslim festivals. Many women have Henna applied to their hands and feet. It is usually drawn on the palms and feet, where the design will be clearest because the skin on these surfaces naturally contains less of the pigment, melanin. Henna was originally used as a form of decoration mainly for brides.

Burmese women, tradition of stretching necks with rings

Body Adornment from the Surma in Ethopia

Indigenous body painting is highly developed among the Xingu native tribes who live in the Amazon in Brazil. Note how his hair is colored red with a paste made from seeds of the annatto (urucum) tree. A black dye is made from fruit of the genipap (genipapo) tree. The butterfly design is a common theme in the Xingu and abstract swallowtail butterfly designs can be seen on both his face and chest.

The Kaiapó are a powerful and well- known Brazilian tribe who live in an area that is almost the size of Austria. Their appearance is highly decorative and colourful, using face and body paint, beads and feathers. The Kaiapó believe their ancestors learned how to live communally from social insects such as bees, which is why mothers and children paint each other's bodies with patterns that look like animal or insect markings, including those of bees. Traditional ceremonies may last many months and mark the beginning and end of seasons as well as rites of passage.

The practice of full body tattoos is associated with the Japanese Yakuza, one of the most powerful organized crime syndicates in the world. It is Japan's version of the Mafia, with 85,000 members who trace their roots back to 17th century Samurai warriors. Like gangs of today, they were tightly knit and spent their free time gambling. Yakuza have always prided themselves upon the code of Bushido, or way of the Samurai

Native Americans are known for their body paintings. The paint (made of clays and ochres) acted as a shield against evil and also protected them against vicious insects. Face painting is considered to be an important tradition among them as a sacred social act of distinction and a cultural heritage. On special occasions faces of the tribe members are painted to augment one’s appearance and power..

Agnieszka Glińska is a choreographer and artist from Kraków, Poland, who has founded Art Color Ballet, a dance theater company in She has integrated contemporary dance with body painting, collaborating with various artists; including photographers, stage designers, musicians and others to create multidimensional and unique artistic performances for which the company is regularly awarded at various international body painting festivals.

Craig Tracy is hands-down one of the best body painters in the world. At first glance, this piece looks like a simple painting of a tiger. Look a little closer, and you'll notice that the tiger's face is actually painted on the back of three separate women. Entitled “The Last South China Tiger” this particular project is part of Save China’s Tigers‘ efforts to protect the remaining striped felines in China

Emma Hack, an Australian artist, started her career as a children's face painter, qualified hairdresser and make-up artist. She gradually moved to body painting of world acclaim.