Current Project

[Mikehillart]

I haven't posted here in quite a while. Been very busy.
But anyway, I'm currently working on a set of digital portraits to be exhibited (more details will be posted in the future) but I thought I'd share the first three in the series and the background to why I chose the subject.

My job as a body piercer is what inspired these images, I'm a big fan of the history behind my job and the way body modification is used around the world, in most cases to express beauty in a very different way to what we in the Western world consider to be beautiful.


A young Mursi woman with a decorative lip plate.


An Apatani woman with stretched nostril and facial tattoos.


A Kayan "long-necked" woman with brass neck coils.

I hope you all like them.
Mike

www.mikehillart.co.uk

[D Akey]

Good stuff! I had always had people hollering at me to 'put a cork in it'. I see that first chap actually took it literally. . . with a pretty massive cork.

I love the beautiful range of cultural images that actually seem to be disappearing. Great subjects well painted!

[Caesar]

Absolutely fantastic paintings! Your mastery is evident! You look a good professional indeed!
Curious way to play DVDs on the first one, isn't it? LOL

Interesting matter to learn of the various body ornamental traditions in past cultures and their relationship with some kind of shared values and life-phase crossing (including tattoes and scaring I mean).
Certainly Much more than to see people today who, in so many cases, use their bodies to show-off their narcissistic needs, generally without a true, meaningful message or to express a fake or market-oriented transgressive attitude.
This fortunately created further business opportunities, so I guess You may like ethnical curiosity, but certainly appreciate the new trend to work creatively and enjoy it!