March 28, 2024

BY RILEY LINSEMAN

Adolescents and poor body image is a problem that’s been on the rise since the age of social media, but it has also been an issue for centuries. Conestoga College event management students Celia Mackenize, Flor Ponciano, Kat Snider and Zoe Campanaro are aware of this problem and put on the True Hue body paint art show in the Tannery Centre on March 25 to address it.

While the focus of the show was a catwalk where models displayed body art, thus encouraging young people to love their body, the event also featured food and drinks to draw in a larger crowd.
The runway portion of the event featured 26 models and 11 artists who displayed a wide variety of paintings.

From phoenixes to prisms and spines to stars, each model chose to express him or herself in their own unique ways. And no need to worry about the kids! Not only were most of the models wearing bathing suits or at least underwear, those who did need a larger canvas wore nude garments to cover up their private parts.

But why would anyone want to do such a thing? Showing off their bodies? How disgusting!

That way of thinking is exactly why.

The goal of True Hue was to make the young adults, both attendees and models, feel better about their bodies so such vicious words won’t affect them.

“I think that’s what we wanted: To bring a feeling of togetherness and start a movement,” said Mackenzie.

The artists of the event felt the same way. Beth Wilson, one artist, saw the event on Facebook and decided she wanted to be a part of it right away.

“I thought it (body image) was a really good movement to spread awareness of body image … The models are very brave.”

Model Rachel Gauthier thinks a body image movement is important. Her painting was an “inside” view of her back because “we’re more than just skin and bones. We’re beautiful on the inside too.”

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