Humans have been altering their bodies permanently for thousands of years. Tattoos, piercings, and scarification have been practiced to demonstrate tribal allegiances, to show a life history, to say a constant prayer, to give a warning, or simply to act as an amazing work of art. Collected below are recent images of skin art, implants, and piercings, and a few glimpses into the owners of these modified bodies.
Body Modifiers
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Carlos poses for a portrait at Caracas's International Tattoo Festival on January 30. Local and international tattoo celebrities joined a host of aficionados from across Venezuela on Friday at the four-day festival, which aims to spread awareness of tattoo culture in Venezuela and promote tattooing as an art form. #
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A tattoo of an owl, pictured on the neck of Jharana Gurung, as she poses backstage during the "Nepal Inked—A Tattoo and Lifestyle Convention" in Kathmandu on October 19, 2014. A total number of 70 artists from Nepal and around the world took part in the three-day convention. #
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Tattoo artist Ulises Jacome cuts pieces of skin from the arm of Andres Ramos to make a scarification tattoo in the shape of a snowflake at his studio in Quito on August 29, 2014. #
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James Ward has a tribal tattoo removed from his face with a laser by Jill France at her "What Were You Inking" clinic in downtown Denver on April 18, 2014. France does pro bono tattoo removal for Colorado Department of Corrections ex-convict clients like Ward, who is enrolled in the Peer 1 Therapeutic Community. #
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Yang Zhengwei, 24, gets a tattoo—adapted from a famous Chinese painting "Along the River during the Qingming Festival"—on his back in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, China, on April 17, 2014. The 50-centimeter-long, 38-centimeter-wide tattoo on Yang's back was finished after over five days of work. The painting, attributed to Song Dynasty artist Zhang Zeduan, was originally a panoramic painting on a scroll depicting the daily life scenery of a river in the capital Bianjin, today's Kaifeng of Henan province. #
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Mexican body modification and tattoo artist Maria Jose Cristerna, also known as "Vampire Woman," poses for a portrait at Caracas's International Tattoo Festival on January 30. #
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A man who has changed his name to King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite adjusts his monocle as he poses during the 10th International Tattoo Convention in London on September 27, 2014. #
Neil Hall/Reuters
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