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Ole Østergaard, a Dane who works as a teacher at a school for the mentally and physically handicapped, is interested in face painting both from a professional point of view and as a hobby.
He travelled to Papua New Guinea in 1998 to study the masks and decorative techniques of the Papuan tribes. Numerous ritual ceremonies are performed in Papua New Guinea in which costumes, wigs, masks and make-up play an important role.

Ole Østergaard was more than just an onlooker: using Grimas Water Make-up, he showed Papuan children how face painting of animals, for instance, is done in the West.

Ole Østergaard's book 'Masker & myter' (Masks and Myths) containing his story and photos was published in 2000. We are now publishing some of those photos and additional photographic material on this site.

Ole Østergaard, a Dane who works as a teacher at a school for the mentally and physically handicapped, is interested in face painting both from a professional point of view and as a hobby.
He travelled to Papua New Guinea in 1998 to study the masks and decorative techniques of the Papuan tribes. Numerous ritual ceremonies are performed in Papua New Guinea in which costumes, wigs, masks and make-up play an important role.

Ole Østergaard was more than just an onlooker: using Grimas Water Make-up, he showed Papuan children how face painting of animals, for instance, is done in the West.