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by Dudu Ntwe
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It also serves the members of a societies status, picking out or differentiating boys from men, men from older men, men from women and members of the tribe from outsiders. Face painting recognises a member of the tribe’s status and they convey a strong cultural meaning.
In the past, many Africans did not cover up their bodies because of tradition, which left their bodies exposed for body painting, beadwork, jewelry and sacrification. Scarification is cutting the skin on purpose in patterns that are decorative and leave permanent scars. The scars on the body of a human being that are in a particular design are a symbol of important moments in that person's life, including puberty and childbirth.
Africa as a continent is rich in many different cultures, traditions, languages and perceptions of beauty. The beauty trends and standards vary all across the continent.
Each tribe has their own make-up which plays a key role in many of the different groups. The make-up is not normal make-up which defines facial structures and enhance natural beauty but is often in the form of face paint and is used for many reasons which can signify different things such as hunting, religious and traditional reasons, military purposes or to scare an enemy.