Pinpin Co, a Chinese artist raised in Japan, uses a simple gel ink pen to turn her subjects’ faces into temporary works of art that are then washed away in a few seconds.

You’ve probably seen impressive body painting before, but what Pinpin Co does is truly unique. Using an 0.38mm gel ink pen, the young artist spends around five hours drawing on people’s faces, creating fascinating artworks that often capture physical or mental scars that each of them possesses. She is inspired by every person she uses as her canvas, their lives and experiences help Pin Pin create new and exciting works of art every time. “It often becomes a therapeutic process,” she told Japanese website Antenna7, in an interview, referring to the doctor-patient relationship that often develops between her and her subjects.

But her unique fine art has also been a healing process for Pin Pin, as well. She recently decided to use her father as a subject, whom she has lived apart from for most of her life. During 1 month’s time, the artist traveled to Aomori, visiting her father and re-establishing a relationship which ultimately resulted into one of her most impressive works yet. “Coming in contact with a stranger’s skin and a family member’s skin are two completely different experiences,” Co said after drawing on her father’s face.

Pin Pin’s father

via Neatorama