Scarification is a method of body modification practiced within a range of cultures.
Used for aesthetic, religious and social reason, the practice involves scratching, etching or burning the skin to leave a significant scar on the body.
In west african tribes it is to mark milestones in men and women's lives such as puberty or marriage. Scarifcation on a womans belly signifies her willingness to mother children as the pain she will go through shows her strength and toleration of pain.
It can also signify identity such as religious or political roles and can be used to identify a member of a certain tribe.
This subject is visually and conceptually stimulating for me.
The patterns are etched onto the body in a very decorative manner. It's almost as though these are sculptures or ornate pieces of architecture.
It just goes to show how our own bodies can be a canvas and that we are willing to manipulate it to give ourselves identity.
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