Instagram make-up artist PaintDatFace became the focus of a social media storm this week after uploading pictures showing a white woman made up to look like a "woman of another culture".

In a preemptive disclaimer accompanying the post, the make-up artist seemed to predict that the work would be controversial: "I want to clearly express the sincere place I am coming from with this transformation," he wrote.

"As an artist and visionary, I can become bored of the 'glam' and done-up looks that we find all over social media, my page included. I struggle to remain challenged, and as a result of that, my posts have become more manufactured than authentic.

"This is a transformation that I've been holding back from releasing for a while now, solely because of the fear I've had of people turning it into a racial scandal against me.

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT A RACE CHANGE. This is about one woman acknowledging, embracing, and celebrating the beauty of another woman's culture.

PaintDatFace signed off by saying the transformation was "by far, the proudest I've ever been of my work."

As the artist seemed to anticipate, the post sparked an angry backlash, with many accusing him of creating a work of modern blackface: