• EMPOWERING BODY PAINT

    METAMORPHOSIS


    This is an online resource for our ongoing research and development into body painting. From studying the art form across the globe from its ancient roots and modern cultural forms, to how the body painting can become a tool for wellbeing and empowerment.

    If you would like to know more or get involved with our body painting journey, email [email protected].

    METAMORPHOSIS

  • Through our research and development, we have been exploring body paint and wellbeing. We have been working with a number of local artists to develop their skills in the artform and assess the impact this can have as an empowering and transformative experience.


    EMPOWERING BODY PAINT

  • EMPOWERING BODY PAINT

    ENDOMORPHOSIS

    Endomorphosis is part of Metamorphosis, our ongoing body painting research and development project in which we’ve been studying this global art form, from its ancient roots, to modern cultural form, to how body painting can be an empowering tool to boost well-being.

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    ENDOMORPHOSIS

  • “ Art can help you cope with emotions, becoming art can help you inhabit and be empowered by them. Body painting has power as a source of healing and empowerment.”   


    - Emma Cammack [Body Painting Artist]

  • ARTIST TRAINING

    In our pilot project, artists explored how body painting can be used to create beautiful art whilst addressing mental well-being and healthy body image. This was an opportunity for artists to use their art as a catalyst for positive change, as well as improve their skills around empathy and really consider the impact art can have on a person's well-being.

    If you're interested in body art and future opportunities, let us know.

    GET IN TOUCH
    ARTIST TRAINING

  • “ I didn't expect painting a person to be such an empowering experience for me. We spent hours painting, chatting and getting to know Adriana although it felt like just a few minutes! I'm so thankful to have been part of her experience and feel that we shared a joyful, peaceful and loving moment together that will stay with me for a long time ”


    - Kate Rothery [Trainee Artist]

  • LIZZIE RIGBY

    CULTURE STUDIES



    Cabasa commissioned artist Lizzie Rigby to create a series of paintings to go alongside our ongoing research and development into global body painting traditions. She has condensed her findings that inspired the paintings into an ongoing blog on her website. Lizzie has also been influenced by Cabasa’s work with local women, using the art of full body painting to explore mental health and body image in Tameside. She is also one of the lead artists on this project.

    An emergency grant from Arts Council England in 2020 enabled us to further our research into global body art, whilst supporting artists.

    Download Our Culture Studies PDF Here

TRIBES OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

TRIBES OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Global Body Paint
PODAI PAINTINGS OF THE LOMA

PODAI PAINTINGS OF THE LOMA

Global Body Paint
OMO VALLEY BODY PAINTING

OMO VALLEY BODY PAINTING

Global Body Paint
BODY ART OF THEYYAM

BODY ART OF THEYYAM

Global Body Paint
BODY ART OF ANCIENT BRITAIN

BODY ART OF ANCIENT BRITAIN

Global Body Paint
POMAK BRIDES

POMAK BRIDES

Global Body Paint

  • ABOUT THE ARTIST

    LIZZIE RIGBY

    “I have created a blog to record my findings through researching tribal traditions of many cultures and how body painting has developed and exists in our society today, from the fashion industry to fine art photography.

    Through exploring ancient ceremonies and incredible artists I hope to gain knowledge and understanding as well as inspiration to apply to Cabasa’s ongoing body painting project."

    LIZZIERIGBY.CO.UK
    LIZZIE RIGBY

  • “ I feel like stripping off and being painted just freed me from all these day to day niggles I have about my body. It was definitely a form of therapy for me. I still draw on that feeling of security and acceptance every time I have a wobble about how I look.”


    - Lauren Moore [Body Painting Participant]

  • ARTISTS & RESOURCES

    Links to body art resources and artists we have discovered.

EMMA CAMMACK

EMMA CAMMACK

Emma is in demand across the world for body painting assignments.

Over the past two decades her accomplished body art has been admired around the world in editorial, adverts, commercials, on billboards, on television, in magazines, in calendars, as fine art, on packaging as live body art installations and many other media.

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BELLA VOLEN

BELLA VOLEN

Bella works with different media as chefs use diverse flavours. Her focus is mainly on canvas painting, human transformations through body painting, photography, and video. They are often connected and presented in a melting pot of all these elements through augmented reality. Bella gave us a historical and practical masterclass in body painting.

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MÃE AFRICA

MÃE AFRICA

Mãe Africa Development Initiative is a non-profit cultural enterprise effecting specially curated “nomadic” styled exhibitions which showcase the diversity of African cultural landscape and history mainly through art.

We connected with Mãe Africa to learn more about scarification and body art traditions throughout the African continent.

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This project has been funded by:

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Photos by: Christian Dyson, Darcie Chazen Stead, Alice Scoggins