Category Archives: Bodypaintings

Destroying the Traditional Nuba People—George Clooney Brings Attention to the Nuba Mountains

Southeast Nuba traditional body painting

George Clooney had himself arrested to bring attention to the one-sided warfare being inflicted by the northern Sudanese government on the people of the Nuba Mountains—and he has done much more than that, he has set up the Sudan Sentinel Project to monitor the ongoing human-rights abuses. The crux of the problem is that the Nuba Mountains are located north of the newly created border with Southern Sudan, though the people there are aligned with the southern Sudanese. New Yorker online: FREEING SUDAN—AND GEORGE CLOONEY

The traditional body arts of the Nuba have been a major inspiration for my work (see related articles below). In addition to the destructive actions of years of civil war and government aggression, their traditions have long been under cultural attack. In my research for the article on the Nuba for my book in 2005, I read in a National Geographic Magazine that the body art traditions have pretty much vanished from their culture. The religiously conservative Sudanese government was against traditional nakedness and bodypainting, and were working to eradicate those traditions—a primary method they were using was to put satellite TVs into community centers, to lure younger members of the tribal groups into a fascination with modern culture and away from their traditions. Continue reading →

Angry Ocean/Waterfall Tears — Tsunami in Japan, One Year Ago

Angry Ocean

 

This weekend is the one year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan.

Waterfall Tears

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Derrick Little — Shield Your Heart — Body Paintings for Deva

"Candle" by Derrick Little

If you are a facepainter and you never got a chance to meet Deva, you have really missed something special. Deva Prem was one of the first people to befriend me at the FABAIC convention when I felt like a stranger in a strange land, introducing herself to me as “Glitterbug” from New York (her facepainting name), and making me feel like I belonged. I can’t imagine a more supportive and enthusiastic  person about this art that we do. Our community lost a loving, shining star with the passing of Deva, one year ago this month. Her very good friend Derrick Little often organized efforts to help her deal with the financial burden of her treatments for breast cancer.

"Angel" by Derrick Little

Derrick is a remarkable artist and one of the most successful bodypainters working in New York, and in homage to his friend he has created a series of bodypaintings titled “Shield Your Heart”—and I can not imagine a more fitting tribute to beautiful Deva than this beautiful art created by her friend. His series of 12  paintings is available for purchase as postcards for just $20, with 50% of all sales going to support You Can Thrive. Please go to: http://www.shieldyourheart.org

from Derrick’s site:

“This project is as “grassroots” as it gets. I am not an organization, a non-profit, nor a corporation. I am an artist who has created and self-funded the art presented here and now I offer it as a gift to raise awareness and money for YOU CAN THRIVE, an organization that helps individuals with breast cancer to access holistic care.

My name is Derrick Little. I am a visual artist and body painter. I started this “Shield Your Heart” postcard project with photographer Liz Liguori in October 2010 when my dear friend, Deva Prem, was in treatments for her breast cancer. This project became a method for me to cope with Deva’s death from Breast Cancer on March 22, 2011. For this campaign, I created a body of work that celebrates both the inherent sexuality of the breast/chest and the fact that the breast/chest serves as a physical “shield” over every person’s heart. I’ve painted 12 traditional symbols of strength on 6 male chests and 6 women’s breasts as metaphoric “shields”.  As we approach the one-year anniversary of Deva’s death, I proudly present this body of art in the form of 12 POSTCARDS, available for PURCHASE via DONATION. (With proceeds from every set sold directly benefiting You Can Thrive). I dedicate this art to Deva Prem and every person who has ever been affected by any form of cancer.”

"Knot" by Derrick Little

Derrick has made a remarkable career as a bodypainter in New York, not an easy thing to do. Check out his work: www.BodyArtbyDerrick.com

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