Rakish and raw in skin-deep creations

Powdered wigs, lace and intricate painting transformed models Dion and Emma into Lord Byron and one of his many lovers for the New Zealand Body Art Awards.

The entry, by Carmel McCormick from Auckland's North Shore, claimed the supreme trophy at the awards in Auckland on Saturday.

Art was brought to walking, talking, crawling, creeping and dancing life
at the North Shore Events Centre, for the second annual New Zealand Body Art Awards.

The categories included fantasy, masquerade and rubber and prosthetic. An entry called Skinned Alive, by artist Jennifer Savannah, of Matakana near Warkworth, featured Adrian Savannah, right, as a devil-like figure.

Event director Mem Bourke said Weta Workshop-designed trophies were won by eight category winners, including Nicole Heydenryk from Wellington in the creature section.

"But my favourite was the World of Fluorescent Illusion section. It really rocked."