Scarification       

The process of scarification involves an endurance of pain. This endurance often signifies a rite of passage and is a ritual which is itself highly significant. The exhibition explores the diversity of designs and the meanings behind these and addresses the issue of pain and focuses on the importance of the process itself.

M Eliade in Encyclopedia of Religion (1987) summarises: Scarification is the operation of marking with scars, Cicatrization is the subsequent formation of a scar at the site of a healing wound - the healing process. The deliberate formation of keloids, sharply elevated, often round or oval scars due to the rich production of collagen in the dermal layer. These terms are often used interchangeably.