Painting Paradise - World Bodypainting Festival - WarpaintMag (2024)

2022 saw the 25th World Bodypainting Festival return to Austria’s Klagenfurt am Wörthersee after a two-year break due to Covid. Founder, Alex Barendregt, and his team welcomed hundreds of artists from all over the world who arrived to compete at the highest level and celebrate the new world champions.

Each day during Festival Week from 7^th to 13^th July, models and artists spent six hours creating one of the oldest art forms with ultra-modern techniques. Bodypainting has gained worldwide recognition over the last 25 years, not least with the World Bodypainting Festival, where competitors battle it out in 12 different categories over the Festival week.

The Awards

With six World, four Special and two Amateur Awards held, competition is fierce. The winner of the 2022 World Award Brush and Sponge category sponsored by Kryolan was no stranger to the podium. Winning for the third time, Sanatan Dinda (India) took the title to go alongside his wins in 2014 and 2016. 2nd place was Silke Kirchhoff (Germany) and in third place was Francesca Cavicchio (Italy).

In the World Award Airbrush Bodypainting category sponsored by Kryolan, the winner celebrated her debut victory in Klagenfurt. Alla Krasnova (Italy) won ahead of Jinra Kim (South Korea) and Veronica Bottigliero(Italy).

There was a new world champion in the World Award Special Effects Bodypainting category sponsored by Kryolan with the title going for the first time to a Mexican female, Alejandra Huert Gayol, who won ahead of Houyam Hajlaoui (Belgium), followed by Vilija Vitkute (Sweden), world champion from 2019.

Austria triumphed in the World Award Facepainting category sponsored by Snazaroo in the WBF 25^th anniversary event. The jury loved this interpretation of the theme “Generation NEXT”. Congratulations go to Nadja Hluschovsky (Austria) who won ahead of Damayanti Garcia (Mexico) and Wiktoria Wedzicha (Poland).

After victory in 2019, the World Champion title in the Team Show category sponsored by Kryolan went again to German duo Claudia Kraemer & Enrico Lein followed by Alex Hansen & Yuri Falzetti (Brazil/ Italy) and Eva-Maria Schulz & Peter Tronser (Germany).

Other winners were: World Award Camouflage Bodypainting sponsored by Base Formula – Olena Semenets (Ukraine); Special Effects Makeup sponsored by Carnival de Las Palmas Gran Canaria – Alejandra Huert Gayol (Mexico); Amateur Award Bodypaint Open sponsored by Carnival de Las Palmas Gran Canaria – Laura Colangelo (Italy); Amateur Award Brush and Sponge sponsored by Vargas – Bibi Jeong (South Korea); Special Award Commercial Rich Makeup sponsored by KODI Professional – Olena Semenets (Ukraine); Special Award Creative Makeup sponsored by XJC Galaxy – Grace Castillejos Iglesias (Spain); and Special Award Makeup Artist Battle sponsored by Mac Pro – Olga Levitskaya (Ukraine)

After intensive competition days and a week full of art and colour, models, artists, enthusiastic spectators and fans partied at a lively Silent Disco Afterparty powered by Antenne Kärnten with live sets by Gentleman, Mathea and Greeen, among others.

Festival 2023

For 2023, the Festival’s dates have moved to 26^th – 30^th September at an indoor venue at the Klagenfurt Expo Messe Arena. Alongside the Live program, there is a big online event which will be livestreamed during the Festival. Here is the link to the full schedule – https://neu.bodypainting-festival.com/en/program

Ticket details – https://neu.bodypainting-festival.com/en/tickets

Travel and hotel details – https://neu.bodypainting-festival.com/en/arrival-hotel

All images courtesy of World Bodypainting Festival. Photocredits: Sarah Eggers, Christian Anders, Patrick Scherling and Daniel Janesche.

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Posted In

Airbrushing, Body Art, Body Painting, Brush and sponge, Camouflage, Competition, , Events, Facepainting, Featured, Festival, SFX

Tagged

Alejandra Huert Gayol, Alex Barendregt, Alex Hansen, Alla Krasnova, Austria, Base Formula, Bibi Jeong, Carnival de Las Palmas Gran Canaria, Christian Anders, Claudia Kraemer, Damayanti Garcia, Daniel Janesch, Enrico Lein, Eva-Maria Schulz, Francesca Cavacchio, Generation NEXT, Grace Castillejos Iglesias, Houyam Hajlaoui, Jinra Kim, Klagenfurt, KODI Professional, Kryolan, Laura Colangelo, MAC Pro, Nadja Hluchovsky, Olena Semenets, Olga Levitskaya, Patrick Scherling, Peter Tronser, Sanatan Dinda, Sarah Eggers, Silke Kirchhoff, Snazaroo, Vargas, Veronica Bottigliero, Vilija Vitkute, WBF 2022, WBF 2023, Wiktoria Wedzicha, World Bodypainting Festival, XJC Galaxy, Yuri Falzetti

By Emma Rutherford

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