NZ Body Art Awards 2011 - October 1st 2011   11 Aug 2011

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The NZ Body Art Awards is taking flight and moving across the bridge into the heart of Auckland city, it will take up residence in the mighty ASB theatre in the Aotea Centre on October 1.

This is an exciting development for the awards, to enter into one of the cultural epicentres of New Zealand, especially during a time where all eyes will be on this country due to the Rugby World Cup.
The venue will host over 90 body artists and performers, who will be walking along the new catwalk to themed music. 2011 marks the sixth year for the awards, the event continues to help set the standard for New Zealand make up artistry and special effects and it garners international respect and recognition.

The NZ Body Art Awards will be offering the audience contemporary and indigenous styles of body painting as well as special effects make-up for film and television. Think hunchbacked scaly swamp monsters, esoteric glow in the dark children, and ethereal other world beings taking turns gliding across a continual cat walk and you have just some of the attractions at the NZ Body Art Awards.

This year the body artists will be inspired by the new theme Aotearoa: Land of The Long White Cloud. It is a chance for this year’s competitors to showcase the many influences New Zealand has had on them as artists; be it a slice of pop culture “kiwiana”, a summary of the breathtaking natural beauty we have in this country or paying tribute to Maori ancestry and culture.

It’s therefore apt to have a panel of judges all from our shores and this year’s adjudicators are some of the finest the New Zealand arts community has to offer; this year’s panel included a man who doesn’t need an introduction - long time supporter Sir Richard Taylor as Head Judge alongside fellow Weta Workshops teammate Gino Acevedo.

Gino is the Senior Prosthetics Supervisor and Visual Creature Effects Art Director and oversaw all the special makeup requirements that Weta Workshops provided for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong and outside of Peter Jackson’s works Godzilla, Men in Black and The Nutty Professor.

Also joining the judging panel for 2011 is veteran adjudicator David Minifie, founder of Minifies Makeup and previously a collaborator with festival creator and artistic director Mem Bourke, The Lord of the Rings actor (and avid Body Art supporter) Lawrence Makaore , Michael George from Event and Film specialists XFAcDA and Elizabeth Osborne from TopMark Products; suppliers of all the materials budding makeup artists require.

Choreographing this year’s proceedings is the multi talented Morag Magnolia Brownlie, who is no stranger to the art world, she directed and choreographed Man Unleashed as part of the 2007 Montana World of Wearable art Awards Show, and recently audiences were treated to the opulence and flamboyant feast of fantasy in her show Birds of Paradise.

Audience participation is once again paramount this year; the winner will receive a Maori cloak (kahupukawhiwhi). So make sure you dress up in your best outfit befitting to this year’s theme of Aotearoa: Land of the Long White Cloud!

(Elephant Publicity)

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