FAKIR MUSAFAR is known worldwide for his fifty years of research and personal
exploration of primitive body decoration and rituals. Fakir has introduced
concepts and practices for the "body-first" approach to explore spirituality in
art, body modifications, SM and what he calls "body play". Fakir's practices
have been shown and his views expressed in the 1985 film DANCES SACRED &
PROFANE and in ReSearch publications 1986 book MODERN PRIMITIVES (a
phrase Fakir coined in 1979 to describe himself and a few kindred spirits).
Fakir's interviews and writings have been included in many anthologies and
scholarly works like:
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| Fakir as "The Perfect Gentleman" 1959 |
He has been labeled by various media as "Father of the Modern Primitive Movement", and currently publishes his own magazine BODY PLAY & MODERN PRIMITIVES QUARTERLY now in its fifth year of publication.
A Shaman, Artist, Master Piercer, and Body Modifier, Fakir has played a
significant part in the revival of body piercing, body sculpting, branding and
other body-related practices for personal expression, spiritual exploration,
rites-of-passage, healing, and reclaiming. He is a co-developer of the modern
body piercing techniques in general use today. He is also the Director of the
FAKIR BODY PIERCING & BRANDING INTENSIVES, the
only courses of instruction of their kind in the world, and only such school
licensed by the State of California.
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| Fakir comes out at International Tattoo Convention 1979 |
Born in 1930 on what was then an Indian Reservation, Fakir is a depression baby from Aberdeen, South Dakota. He studied electrical engineering and has a B.S.E. degree from Northern State University (South Dakota) plus an M.A. degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. For many years he held executive positions in San Francisco advertising agencies and operated his own ad agency in Silcon Valley. Fakir has had, over the years, a very checkered career path that included such odd occupations as Instructor in Demolitions & Explosives (U.S. Army 1952-54) and teacher of ballroom dancing at Arthur Murray's. All the while, he was privately practicing what his inner spirit revealed to him as a valid but non-sanctioned way (in this culture) to reach spirit through the body. In 1979, he made his first public coming out at the first International Tattoo Convention in Reno Nevada. Since then, he has seen as his "life work" writing, speaking and teaching others what he has experienced and learned by doing "body play".
In the 1990's, Fakir has appeared on many mass media shows like NBC's Faith Daniels Show, CNN's Earth Matters, and TBS Discovery Channel. This year he has done extensive interviews for London Weekend Television's Southbank Show which will appear in the U.S, on the Bravo Channel.
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| Fakir, from Dances Sacred and Profane 1982 |
Presently Fakir is a popular speaker at universities and colleges, new age and other special interest groups. In recent years he has contributed material and photos to contemporary publications like THEATER JOURNAL (performance art), John Willie's BIZARRE magazine (fetish and SM exploration), SKIN TWO, and other similar magazines. He has also lectured and performed at international art festivals like ICA in London (Institute of Contemporary Art, Rapture Series, 1995) and the International Seminar on BODY: RITUAL-MANIPULATION at Kannonhallen in Copenhagen (1995). In 1997 he lectured and performed body rituals with his partner, Cleo Dubois, at FESTIVAL ATLANTICO in Lisbon, Portugal.
Fakir Musafar likes to speak, perform and present shamanic body rituals
wherever a receptive audience can be gathered. He is available for bookings to
give lectures, performances, shamanic body piercings and brandings, group body
rituals, and body piercing and branding classes or workshops.
To contact Fakir:
