Body painting never fails to impress me. I’ve been at a festival where a few people were painted. It’s impressive to see how the human skin transforms into something amazing; a walking canvas, an animal or a part of nature.
You may know that “we” were not the first people to do that. Indigenous people from many parts of the world took to painting their skin long ago. A few days ago, on Twitter, I found some images from the equatorial Guinea body painting festival and I thought to share those with you.
Contrary to the old days, these people do ‘comply’ to the ‘laws of decency’ so they aren’t entirely naked.
In the old days, hunters would colour their body with natural dyes to camouflage themselves in the forest in order to hunt animals.
The hunting tradition has ended, but the body painting is continued as a festival of colours.
Seeing the colours that are used in the festival, it’s obvious that they are no longer related to hunting. The vibrant colours, like sported by the lady below, are certainly not for camouflage, but they depict more the joy of life and, clearly, the amazing possibilities of the human canvas!
We should have more possibilities and options to decorate ourselves this way when the weather allows for it. Textiles can dress in the most radiating colours. We naturists should be able to carry ourselves in a similar, colourful “fashion”. (Pun intended!)