The World Bodypainting Festival is a visual treasure trove of a festival takes place annually in Austria, where the creme de la creme of artists and models from over 40 different countries do their best to shock and entertain visitors at the three-day world championships for bodypainters.

The human body has been used as a canvas by people and from all across the world for thousands of years. From make-up to tattoos, every culture in history has painted and adorned themselves in some form of celebration or ritual. Creating living breathing art takes patience, skill and a great deal of concentration. At the end of each day the human art-forms parade down the catwalk while photographers jostle for position in order to capture the perfect shot. There is big money at stake for the top three photos and award-winning artists.

It's an event we look forward to every year for just the stunning images alone, which you can view below.