We went to see Stockholm Body Painting Contest the 18th of October 2008 - Sweden’s first contest with international competitors and our very first Body Painting event ever!
Needless to say, we were very excited to find such an opportunity to see something so unusual, something we never had seen before.
The contest was initiated and arranged by the manager of Make Up Institute in Stockholm together with The World Body Painting Association.
The contest’s theme was “Human and Nature in Frame”, with both airbrush and brush / sponge body painting techniques competing with each other for the first price: €1000 of Mist Stockholm products.
There were twenty international and professional bodypainters from countries such as Sweden, Finland Holland, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Bulgaria, Poland, Israel among others. I don’t even remember, there were so many!
I remember though that both the ruling World Champions in brush /sponge and airbrush technique were participating. This was a contest with high class indeed.
With the thought of that the painting started at 9 o’clock in the morning (!) and should be ready for judgement at 3 in the afternoon, I’m really impressed by the painters and the models stamina as well as the amazing results!
The jury must have had a very tough job, because there were so many amazing body paintings to choose between.
I’ll start with telling you who came at third place: the Swedish Team Jarl, ruling World Champions 2008 in the Seeboden Body Painting Festival in the brush / sponge category.
As some of you might recognize, their bodypainting was inspired by the Scandinavian nature and mythology from other famous painters like John Bauer, Ernst Josephson, Carl Larsson and Staffan Ullstrand (a famous Swedish ethologist).
So many wonderful details, I love the back as well!
At second place came the ruling World Champion in the airbrush category, Alex Hansen from Brazil, ranked 1st in Canada at Color Mundo 2007 and 1st in the World at the World Body Painting Festival 2008.
This bodypainting model were actually the first one I saw when we entered the place and she instantly gave me the visions of a wild creature of the Amazonas. Very fascinating.
Such rich details. I’m so impressed, beyond words. Can’t stop looking at her! (One of my two favorites which I did tip as a winner).
…and the winner was: Australia! (I have no idea what the painters name is… If any one reading this knows, please tell me her name in the comments thank you).
UPDATE: We got the wrong information. The winner was Bella Volen from Austria (born in Bulgaria), sorry for that!
Another amazing bodypainting and I love the birds, but yet, no, this was not the one that I would have chosen as the winner.
My winner would have been this one below, because of the way the painter had chosen to take advantage of the models body, look how one of her breasts are the painted lady’s breast too.
If she did close her eyes, it really looked like she had a fox face and the fox is embracing her. I also love the male figure hanging on her back, entwined by the octopus. Simply brilliant.
It’s never the right one that wins, right? The jury were celebrities, which I never think is a good idea. Better would be to choose a jury of persons with a big knowledge and long experience of the subject - in this case body painting.
Mark Reid from USA was also participating - ranked 3rd in in the World at the World Body Painting Festival 2008. (See my other post with the video where he is painting jeans on a girl).
He was also going to hold a body painting seminar on Monday after the competition, as well as Alex Hansen and the very talented Einat Dan.
I recommend you to read my post Bodypainting Trips Tips about other Bodypainting events around the world to travel to.
You simply MUST see all Lifecruiser Stockholm Body Painting Contest 2008 Photos with the other bodypaintings and close up’s!!!
If you don’t want to see the overview, you can go direct to Lifecruiser Stockholm Body Painting Contest 2008 Photos Slideshow.