The art form that is body art is incredibly unique. Transforming the human body into a living, breathing work of art. Making its return this year and celebrating the theme of ‘Wild Things!’, the Australian Body Art Festival has not only helped put the Sunshine Coast on the map, but also a lot of incredible, local and international artists.

This April 7th to 9th, both artists and art lovers alike will be able to come together in Cooroy to celebrate all things body art – expressing their interpretation of this year’s theme. If you’ve never been, it truly is a very cool experience to witness these incredible talents transforming their living, breathing human canvases into breathtaking expressions of their immense creativity.

For those not familiar with the term body art, or the festival itself for that matter, allow me to explain. The genre of body art seemingly originated in the 1970s, in which the actual bodies of artists themselves or of models plays a vital role in the artistic piece. This of course includes piercings, ornamentation, tattoos and plain old body paint. The human form becomes the canvas, and it makes for some mind-altering works of art. The Festival itself began back in 2008, being held in Eumundi up until 2015. In 2016 the event could not be held, before returning in 2017.

This year it’s back and better than ever.

As with any good art festivals there are plenty of competitions and prizes to be won – thanks to some very generous sponsors of the event. There will be 6 total ‘artist’ competitions, including; Brush and Sponge, Airbrush, Special Effects, Face painting, Wearable Art, and the photography awards, as well as a ‘best model’ competition to make things interesting. Each competition will feature a first and second place, with each winner taking home either a cash prize, or other prize provided by festival sponsors.

There will of course be plenty of amazing street food and stalls on offer. If you like what you see, and want to pick up some supplies to play around with at home there will be plenty of suppliers to choose from, not to mention some amazing artists to bond with and pick up some tips and tricks of the trade. These community events are amazing ways to create ties in your local artist community, as well as a way of supporting said local artists and suppliers, so if you have the time, and a love of good art, I urge you to stroll through the stalls and get an eye full.

For more information on this years event see their website.