Moments with Yaya

Face painting was originated in the early 1980’s when people who worked at carnivals painted their faces and dressed up in costumes to raise money. Today this entertaining art, is provided to children at festivals, school bazaars, carnivals and special events. Children can choose to be lions, monkeys, clowns, or anything their imagination desires. This is also a fantastic entertaining party pleaser to add to any child’s birthday party, with a number of professional face painters offering the service. The paint used is water based and washes off easily, and is usually clothing friendly.

In some countries, painting of faces is part of their heritage and religion. Native Americans, use face paint as a war paint before cultural rituals, dances and even before going into battle. The colours and art work they use shows their strength and ferociousness. Each colour is a symbolic meaning of their journey or expedition. Red paint usually means blood, strength and success. Black paint means living, and is usually worn before going to war. White is symbolic for mourning, and is used by a number of cultures when someone close to them dies. Blue is the colour of death and yellow is a sign of a hero. For some of these tribes and cultures, they use different mediums to paint their faces, such as clay, sand, limestone and even egg shells.  They also use berries and flowers to get a more colourful effect on the faces. These symbolic face painting rituals have been in cultures for decades and continue to be used as symbols of happy and sad occasions.

While children find this art form very entertaining and fantasy like, the real meaning for some cultures extends a lot further. Children can also express their love for fantasy through visual artwork on their faces, and explore the character and warrior within themselves. Face painting is an expression of one’s self or heritage and used around the world for all different reasons.