IVANKA ZAGORSKA PHOTOGRAPHY IZAGORSKAPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
“My body is a journal in a way. It’s like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it to yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist”1 – Johnny Depp, Depp Impact
“Society will always be too fragile to accept us for all that makes us beautiful”2 – Robert M. Drake, Good Reads
PROJECT STATEMENT Rather emotional, I can no longer be an outsider. From secretly hidden to proudly revealed, body modification becomes a behaviour associated with culture, traditions, biological characteristics and lifestyle. It is a self-expression of individuality marked for a lifetime unless removed. This digital documentation of body modification is inspired by personal curiosity towards the tattoo art similar to painting. The series is a photographic study of tattooed people, aged between 20 and 51 years from diverse nationalities, gender, skin colour, race, profession, class and religion. Portraiture style is very appropriate for this context, highlighting the tattoo art. Allowing all participants to be themselves only adds a natural and aesthetic feeling that complements their personality. The work has expanded for over six months aims to define not just its changing role within the society today but also to discover the motivations and reasons behind the permanently inked artistic designs of any type, shape and form. The project investigates what had influenced their decision to mark their bodies and how tattooing had impacted their lives. Extended beyond the borders of body art, a short interview conducted with each participant conveys personal stories that examine what body embellishment means to themselves and how does it concern others. Even today, for some people tattoo art is unacceptable, and others finds it cool. It is not just about an image or text imprinted on the skin, but a connection and self-discovery depicted through intimate stories. Therefore, sympathy and understanding of the genuine moments of humanity hidden under the inked cover is the purpose of the project.
“You purchase pain with all that joy can give and die of nothing but a rage to live”2 – Alexander Pope, Moral Essays
CONFIDENT BEING A MAN At the age of 16 years, Arnel had a lot of friends with tattoos who influenced him to get his first tattoo. “You know High school life, if you see someone who has different tattoos on his body, personally I like to do it also. Ladies were amazed seeing men with tattoos. This was a way to impress and attract them”. Hence he decided to have his own, and now he has them. He did the first one on his leg, a ‘Castle with a moon’ representing his dream house along with his ex-girlfriend’s name written underneath. According to him, they remain good friends. The second one located on the left side of his chest shows a ‘Tiger’. It’s unfinished because of the pain, but he plans to cover it up later by putting a new one. The ‘Lion’ on his left arm is five months old. “I think I treat my wife like a lion. No, I’m just kidding”. Arnel says it represents his personality because of many trials in life he went through, surpassing all of them. Furthermore, it depicts his fatherhood, “Being a father; you need to be a lion for your kids because you are a king”. Four months ago, he made a Japanese ‘Koi fish’ on his right arm, representing Japanese traditions. “Fish is my sojax sign... I’m a ‘Pisces’, so I put a fish on my arm as my birth sign”. On the middle finger of his left hand, Arnel shows a small spider he did himself as an experiment drawing using a needle and ink. He shares that it’s cool, but he remembers that it hurt a lot as it went through to his finger bone.
“Having tattoos makes me more confident because I’m thin” which encourages him to at least put some art on his body. “I’m fit, but I think I feel more satisfied with myself as a man”. Despite his thin body, the tattoos serve as a decoration as well. In about 3-5 months, he plans to put a portrait of his three kids on his back or chest. Alternatively, he considers putting a portrait of his wife on his chest, “Because that’s where my heart is and my wife should always be in my heart”. In honour of their 18 years of marriage, he thinks it is time to place his wife’s face on his heart and not only in his mind. “She’s already in my heart, but I want to tattoo it also. If I can do all of them – my wife and kids tattooed on my chest, I will get it done”. After college, Arnel started to search for a job in his home country. Although discrimination was a significant issue, especially if employers notice tattooed parts of the body like fingers or arms when going for medical examinations and checks, the application would be rejected. Often this is because of the assumption that the person has just got released from prison. He shares, “Before in my country, if someone sees tattoos on your body, it means that you just came from jail and you have done criminal activities”. It describes the way people think and their mentality, which leads to discrimination and still exists. He believes that when it comes to employment what is more important is to know how to perform your job well. – Arnel, 37 from Philippines
FOUNDATION Meenu does not remember when she had decided to get her first tattoo, but she received it in 2009 at the age of 23. Although the idea about it was in her mind for a very long time, she didn’t want to get a tattoo until she was certain. “I think it was not about inspiration, it was more about a reflection of who I was”. On her first visit to India, people were curious about where she was coming from, her religion and background culture, which she didn’t know much about. “I started researching where I was really coming from and what my religion was. What did it really mean and how did that influence me to be who I am today”. While doing that, she realised how much her roots, religion and culture meant to her and eventually this is how the tattoo came into the picture. She has five tattoos. The Buddhist symbol called ‘Hum’ on her neck is her first one, it is the last syllable of a very famous religious chant in Buddhism ‘Om mani padme hum’. Meenu believes her religion means a lot to her. “I’m not a practising Buddhist, which means I will kill a mosquito if it bites me, but I’m a spiritual Buddhist”. Her second one on her left wrist is a ‘Phoenix’, which depicts re-birth along with her foster mother’s initials ‘CW’ on it. The design itself is not very clear because she was not too sure whether to have a big tattoo on her small wrist, so it has been compressed to fit in it. She chose the inner side because she thought it was easier to hide it at work. Then she became a bit braver and got a ‘Belly belt’ tattoo on the left arm when she learnt belly dancing.“It changed me from who I was. I was a very tomboyish kind of a person so now I’m very feminine. Not very much, but I’m still feminine”. After that, she got a ‘Music note’ and a ‘Sandal’ on her left ankle, Latin shoes associated with her training in Latin dances – “Salsa, Jive, Bla Bla Bla”. The last one just below her left shoulder is the latest, about two months old. It is another symbol that represents one of the Buddhist teachings.
Most of her tattoos are religious and things that have had an influence on her personality. She shares that she plans to have more. The idea is to have a half sleeve covering the entire thing until the left elbow in two sessions. Although the designs are still to be decided, she feels confident she will be all covered up. “I’m going to be filled with tattoos because they represent the foundation of me, my belief system and my culture. Not a presentation. I’m not going out to present myself, but I am telling myself that these are so important because this is who I am. This is my base; this is my culture. It’s who I am”. Meenu has absolutely no regrets, but the one thing she wishes and really misses is the chance to wear cute tops at work, which she is unable to do because she has to wear a jacket at all times. In the HR career as a trainer, Meenu has been questioned whether having tattoos make any difference for her. She says that her tattoos have helped her interact with people; because of their curiosity they would come to her. Sometimes she has been stopped in the middle of the road and received a compliment about her tattoos being nice, people ask her about their meanings and where she got them. In a way, her tattoos have helped her when meeting people. She also doesn’t think tattoos make any difference to her working style because she is all covered up and people do not see them. “Once in a while when I do remove my jacket people get curious. Sometimes I do understand that a few people don’t like it, but eventually, people forget about the fact that I have tattoos, so I’m not really affected at work”. – Meenu, 33 from Bhutan
VERSATILE Namy was in Birmingham when she got her first tattoo at the age of 21 years, a quote on her waistline that says “Music sounds better with you”, which is not very clear because of its size. In her life, music became an inspiration for most of her tattoos, incorporating a lot of music symbols. On the left rib, she has her mum’s, dad’s and brother’s dates of birth in a line in Roman numerals. Below that is her best friend’s handwriting, who has the same one on his shoulder. “His name is Nav, so we just decided to write each other’s signatures. That’s actually our code word for our life because we have been through a lot together”. Under the signature is the ‘Aries constellation’ the way it looks in the sky. The one on her right forearm is a ‘Mandala’, a henna design. According to Namy, it is a very random design, a creation of the tattooist whom she told to do whatever he wants. She didn’t really care much about it, but she wanted him to add ‘Music symbols’. That is attached to the word ‘Passion’ as a continuation of a similar design of the mandala on the other side of her hand. On top of it is a ‘Lotus’, which she wanted. There is no meaning to it, just that no other flower could fit in there. And then again as a continuation is the same word ‘Passion’ in Arabic. On her left wrist, she has an ‘Upside down triangle’, that is a symbolic representation of what women can do that men can’t do. “For example, women can give birth and men can’t. Basically, women empowerment”. The one on the right hip says ‘Don’t let the pain destroy you’, but according to her, it was translated wrong by a friend. “It’s his handwriting, but one of the words is wrong”. On the left hip, she has a ‘Diamond’, the birthstone of Aries. On her right thigh, Namy has a ‘Melting diamond’. For some reason she decided if she has one then might as well have a melting one as well. In a way it appears similar to the Arabic one.
Namy has no regrets, except for the tattoo with the wrong word, which she plans to fix. “I feel that tattoos actually stand out and I wish that I could have tattoos everywhere. I feel they make you a unique person. To me, it’s like memories of everything that you stand for in your body. But I can’t do that, unfortunately. Everything basically has something to do with some part of my life”. Tattoos remind her not to forget her passions and keep going towards what she feels passionate about. “Everything has its own era in my life”. So far she has not faced any challenges, even when she had to look for a job. She says she is not a corporate type person and not pulled by the corporate industry, which is why she feels least bothered by that. “I feel like everyone looks at me and they get excited when they see tattoos because they’re like ‘Oh what does that mean’. So it’s basically like an icebreaker or something between people and me”. – Namy, 27 from India
IT FEELS BETTER Cleed decided to get tattooed a long time ago, but his father told him and his brother that if they go and get tattoos, they will die. Scared of his father, he waited until he grew older and in 2015 went to get a tattoo. Cleed’s inspiration was the guys who had tattoos in High school. “I wasn’t jealous; I just felt that I would like to get one, but I wanted my own design reflecting my life”.
“I feel special, and I feel like a normal person. But when I have this, it makes me feel better every day. When I wake up and look in the mirror, I’m different than before. When the needle pushes into my skin, it makes me feel better. I don’t have regrets, but if I look back and see myself in old pictures, I feel it is the old me where I don’t have tattoos”. He is looking forward to getting more tattoos.
A Japanese ’Flowerhorn’ fish on his right arm was his first tattoo. He believes that this type of fish brings luck to his family. Hence, he has it as a pet at home that has to be kept outdoors. He is also a fan of Japanese tattoos and admires their designs. The fish consists of some characteristics that bring good luck. A Japanese ’Dragon’ tattoo appears on his left arm combined with some flowers, water waves and clouds. He is attracted to it because its skin is similar to a snakeskin. In August 2017 he got his latest two tattoos done. Another Japanes-themed tattoo ‘Hannya in a demon mask’ under the ‘Flowerhorn’ fish design completes his ’sleeve’. It is his favourite one. Cleed wants to continue studying about this warrior and plans to have an enlarged version of a ‘scary Hannya mask’ on his back next year. An additional ‘Flowerhorn’ yellow fish with waves, that fits his right leg is the last one. “I chose these because I feel nice every day, like a different kind of person. It’s me. No one else has the same”.
Cleed has never faced any challenges, but he admits he doesn’t care what people would say about him having tattoos, even if they see him as a bad person because he knows himself and feels comfortable. “Just because you have a tattoo doesn’t mean that you are a bad guy. We are not criminals for having tattoos. We don’t kill people. I feel better and comfortable with myself having these tattoos”. – Cleed, 30 from Philippines
A NEW BEGINNING Irene got her first tattoo done when she was 18 years old. “I was a wild one,” she recalls. An old friend of hers had tattoos, and each one would have its meaning. They knew each other for many years. One day she advised Irene to do something that would remind her of where she was at that time and where she sees herself in life. Her friend was her inspiration to get one on each arm. A ‘Barbed wire’ tattoo on her right arm was her first one. “At that time it represented me and which stage I was in life”. She finds it hard to talk about this tattoo and prefers not to remember it. At the age of 18 years, until she turned 24 years was a time connected with many struggles. At 24 years old, on her left arm she got a ‘Dolphin’ tattoo. She says that in most cultures dolphins mean a start or a new beginning. “When I found out I was pregnant, was a whole turn around for me. I wanted to change and start fresh”. She has a daughter now. This was the reason behind her second tattoo, which meant a lot to her and really changed her life. The one on her lower back is dedicated to her daughter and herself depicting a fresh start for both of them. Just recently, on the same arm, she added another ‘Dolphin’ and a ‘Stingray’ from a tribal design to connect both dolphins as a celebration of her daughter´s nursery graduation. It was very painful for her. Eager to know about dolphins and their way of life, she explains, “Dolfins are intelligent and kind. Both a mammal and a reptile, warm-blooded and still live in water”. Like all characteristics of the dolphin, she felt she had to change her way in life. “I was really at a bad stage. It was just a wake-up call for me. I really had to come back to life and ground myself. And this grounded me”.
Without any regrets, her tattoos are a reminder of where she was and where she is now. Irene remembers saying to herself ’’You are here, and you are here now; and you can do better for yourself and for your daughter’’. They represent a new beginning, helping her grow all the way through. The places she chose to have the tattoos did not put her in any problematic situations because most of the time no one can see them besides when she is at home. At work, she wears a suit (uniform) that covers them up. Wisely chosen considering the future, she thinks that people with tattoos are often judged when getting a job, especially in the corporate sector. But even if she would be applying and going for interviews, her tattoos will be covered up and remain unseen. “Unless I show them to you, you wouldn’t know I have a tattoo. Because they are personal”. – Irene, 30 from Kenya
INDIVIDUALITY Aoife wanted to get a tattoo for a long time, but it was only when she was 21 when she got her first one done. She was travelling to Australia and her boyfriend at the time bought it for her. “Thank God it doesn’t say his name” [laughs]. Aoife has four older brothers, and one of them is a body piercer and owns a tattoo shop in London. So all her brothers are covered in tattoos. “That’s where the inspiration came from I would say”.
Aoife has no regrets at all, and she cannot wait to get more tattoos until she has her full arm done. “I have to go to London for my brother’s wedding, so I’m going to stop in at his shop and start on that next year”. She has never faced any difficulties because her tattoos are not openly visible wherever she goes and at work she wears a uniform. “It will when I have my arms done, but I don’t care”.
The one on her shoulder is just a script, an Irish quote in a font she liked. It doesn’t have any significant meaning, translated into ‘A true friend is like a rare bird’ from Gaelic. The other one on her left hip is a ‘Falcon’, inspired by her love towards birds of prey and that was just what she wanted to get done. Since she lives in the UAE, it turns out to be the national bird of the country. “It symbolises something to me. When I was 12 years old, I used to show jump. I used to ride horses. My dad was into motorbikes, and his friend had a motorbike, which was or still is the fastest road bike in the world. It was called the Hayabusa, and this is a Japanese word that translates into peregrine falcon which is this tattoo of mine. And of course I love falcons, and I wanted to get a tattoo of a bird of prey. I was like ‘That’s the one that I’ll get’. So it kind of has a link to my dad back in the day. It would give me a bit more of my own individuality because nobody else has the same in the exact same places I do, so I suppose it kind of defines me. It gives me some identification maybe”. She never actually thought about it.
– Aoife, 29 from Ireland
THAT’S ME, THAT’S HOW I AM Fascinated with her daughter’s tattoos, Balwinder had never dared to go ahead and do anything like this. It took her 13 years to decide, and at the beginning of 2017, she felt she wanted to do something different. By that time at the age of 51 years, she did her first, second and third tattoos, all at the same time, on the same day and the same hour. She remembers speaking to her father telling him that she wanted to get a tattoo, something that was not expected out of her. He welcomed her decision, advising her to do something that reflects her as a person. The tattoo on her left chest is in her own language ‘Nirbhav Nirwere’, which is an opening statement in the holy book meaning ‘Without fear and without hate’. “That’s how I am. I am an expressive person. When I have to say something and express myself, I do. So that completely reflects who I am“. The second one on her back is a cultural symbolic religious sign. She says that the third one on her left arm is very backdated and traditional, but defines everything – forgiveness, love and peace. Thus, each one is a sign, which in the olden days were done more on the face, neck, etc. She prefers to do it this way so when somebody talks to her, she says ‘You know what, I forgive you’.
Tattoos make Balwinder feel 20 years younger and different. ”It took me a lot of courage to do something like this. I was very scared of needles, and this completely got me out of fear. I feel it’s like your soul setting free”. She felt as if she went 20 years back, feeling very good with absolutely no regrets. She even has a plan of going and making two more. But for now, she is waiting for the right symbols to come because they should reflect her personality and not just a tattoo that needs to be put in. The idea is already forming in her mind, considering something tiny, but visible. Although she had made them pretty evident, she had never faced any difficulties and made sure that she had bought the right shirts to wear. So for instance, the one on her left chest is half visible because sometimes people want to know why she has a tattoo. Explaining to them about it makes her feel happy. She has bought jackets to make sure people can see them, and for very high corporate meetings she also has jackets to cover them. But during the regular working days, she does not have any intentions of covering. “That’s me and I would not”, she states. – Balwinder, 51 from India
PERSONALITY It was almost seven years ago when Amar received his tattoo while doing a project in Bangalore. He always wanted to have a tattoo, but hadn’t planned on it. It just happened. The moment suddenly came in 2010 when a model for a tattoo was needed, and he expressed an interest. This is how he got his first tattoo. At that time he was a consultant working on some projects for Spa’s and Salons in Bangalore in the Southern part of India. When they had completed the project, they began hiring. During the hiring process, they had to interview a tattoo artist, and this is how he met his tattooist. They needed a model and he was ready for it. Although nobody had inspired him, he admired Hollywood movies with Vin Diesel because of his ‘Triple X’ tattoo. He aimed for something that is more of his field and relevant to him. So the tattoo on his left arm is all about ‘Yin-Yang with a dragon’, a Chinese concept. He explains that Chinese people believe every human being has a positive and negative energy flow, which runs through the body and balances it completely. Being from the health and wellness industry, this represents not only what he does, but also himself as a person. This was the reason for him to choose this particular design. He adds that there were supposed to be two dragons, one bad and one good fighting against each other and since space was less there is just one dragon, but the concept remains. “It should represent you and what you feel about that. It should not be for only the sake of making it. It should represent your emotions. It should show your personality”.
He wanted to get it done, and he did. “Sometimes it makes you feel cool that you’ve got a tattoo. But for me, it’s not that. It’s just something that I wanted to do. Nothing to show anybody”. He has zero regrets, and he waits for the next opportunity. Soon enough he will have another tattoo, perhaps around the neck or on his right arm. He believes that every challenge comes with an opportunity. One of the hotels he joined had a limitation of visible tattoos and had to change his uniform to make sure he fits into their work culture and organisation. Because they wanted him to work for them, he didn’t have any difficulties himself. However, the company faced problems as they had to make changes in their uniform style. – Amar, 36 from India
PRETTY AND ATTRACTIVE Cristina had her first tattoo in 2010. When she was about 21 years old, she saw a woman with a tribal tattoo and she loved it. It was not necessarily an inspiration, but rather something she saw and liked. And because she found it attractive she thought she would like to have one too. “No special influence, it’s just the aspect of it”. She chose this particular design because tribal tattoos have different meanings, like being loyal and pertaining to a group. Within the design, she decided to include an ‘Arrow’ symbol that depicts her zodiac sign. “I thought this represents me because ‘Sagittarius’ describes a lot of my characteristics like I am stubborn, I aim high, and I am very focused. So I thought that this would definitely represent me at best”. Some tattoos she finds sexy, but there are others that have meanings, which sometimes she is not sure if she would be able to understand. For instance, she would not get a tattoo of a skeleton or things she finds unattractive. “I would put things that attract me like poppy flowers, dolphins, etc. Something friendly, not necessarily sad things. Because it will be on my body”.
“I can’t say having a tattoo means something special, it’s just something I liked so I did it. So not lots of thought went into it. I don’t regret at all having it. It’s on my back, so I don’t see it all the time. It’s not something that bothers me. But I still love it even after seven years. It makes me feel pretty and sexy. Though I try to cover it sometimes, just not to be offensive to people when I travel to different countries and come across different cultures”. Cristina intends having another one, a ‘Poppy’ because she loves this flower, which she promised to talk about when she gets it. She did not encounter any difficulties so far because the tattoo is not visible, thus, never got her into trouble. But she says that her parents would not be pleased if they see it. – Cristina, 36 from Romania
LIFE DOESN’T STOP Deepika decided to have a tattoo at the age of 26 years after getting married. Despite having thought about it since she was 13 – 14 years old, the decision was unexpected. Afraid that it would be too painful, she did not have enough courage until the day when she accompanied her two friends to get their tattoos done. Eventually, they became her inspiration after seeing the “huge tattoos” her friends had made. It took a whole day, and at last, she decided to try. Considering tattoos as trendy, Deepika shares, “It looks very nice to see people having tattoos, it was fun for me”. Since getting a tattoo was not planned, she did not know what the design would be. “It was one of my dreams that I wanted to gain status”, and choosing to embed her husband’s name was a way to express love towards the man of her life. The tattoo consisting of letters ‘D’ and ‘J’ depicts not only his initials, but also hers, which is why she feels the tattoo is for both of them. His name is Deepak, and hers is Deepika, a common name in India, just with a difference of the letter ‘i’. “I am Deepika Joshi because after marriage, I became Joshi, and his name is Deepak Joshi. It solves both purposes”. Now she is waiting for her husband to get one as well, but probably not until they have children as he currently works in the Aviation industry and his job does not permit tattooed skin. He had promised to have it dedicated to her and their children. Before getting a tattoo, she had wondered how having a tattoo on her body would make her feel and whether she would be able to tolerate the pain. Now she says that there was a little bit of pain, but it is an amazing feeling.
Deepika recalls that at the time she had her tattoo done, she felt as if she had done it already. She compares tattooing to a smoking addiction as the first one encourages many more. “Once you have the first tattoo, you feel like getting more and more, one after another. It is addictive”. Hence, she is excited to go back to her country and get another one. Although she has not decided what the next artistic design would be, it is most likely to be influenced by her husband. He had started a blog with the tagline ‘Life can’t stop’, believing that whatever happens, life does not stop. “Since he is too much into that, I am thinking of getting that slogan done. On his Facebook page, everything is related to that”. Devoted to her husband, she too had started to believe in it, which is why most probably this will be the next tattoo. Due to job restrictions in regards to tattooed skin in the hospitality industry back home, she is still uncertain about the location, considering her back. Therefore, she would have to find a hidden place rather than the wrist. – Deepika, 29 from India
UNIQUE When she was 17 years old, Nathalie was very excited because at that time she wanted to have just one tattoo on her back. Tribal designs were very popular back then. Everybody seemed to be interested in dolphin or flower tattoos. When she saw the design (‘Gecko’) in a picture, she knew it was what she wanted, just that it was small and she wanted to have it a bit bigger. She did not want a common tattoo like those everyone else had at that time. She chose it because it fits her personality. “I feel it is a strong one and I have a very strong personality, it definitely defines me”. Although she thinks her tattoo does not have any specific meaning, she proudly shares that last year, she was the second person to have this kind of design. With Chinese origin, she says that today’s generation is fascinated by Chinese figures.”Chinese figures [tattooed] here [shows neck] and there [points to her stomach on th left side] and so on. But this tattoo is the best one that everyone will go for”. Her tattoo artist did only two tattoos with this design since she was 17, but the other one was just a small one on the back. “I feel very popular and very sexy. Because it is on my back, I like to wear sexy dresses just to show my tattoo. I have no regrets at all because now that I’m getting older since it’s on my back, I don’t feel it. And I don’t need to show it every day when I’m working”.
To the question whether she has ever faced any difficulties with having a tattoo, she responds, “Not in my culture”. Nathalie never felt any inconvenience having the tattoo because it is on her back and usually it is covered. She was the first to have a tattoo in her family, and her dad was not very happy about it. He reacted saying ’’Why do you need to do something on your body’’. “But at the end, he accepted it”, she says. For her that time was like re-birth, she had the tattoo and a lot of piercings. “In the end, he took it easy. It’s a new generation”. – Nathalie, 35 from Mauritius
BIZARRE Piero decided to have his tattoo at the age of 21 years old, while for a very first time he was away from home for a long time. At that time it was good to have a tattoo and he wanted to have one as well, and so he got it done. Piero decided to have the tattoo on his upper back because of a guy he saw on TV. His inspiration came from a similar design he saw on a cover of a CD album of a band he used to listen at that time but decided to customise it. The symbol is a tribal cross, which according to Piero has no meaning behind it. However, he drew the design himself thinking that if he was about to have a tattoo that is going to last forever, then he should be the one to picture it. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it. However, I said to myself that I would only do it before Christmas of 2004 if I would manage to stay and do something I planned before leaving Italy”. In the end, on January 2005 he did it. Sometimes he regrets thinking that maybe it wasn’t a good idea. But most of the time he feels okay with it. When he sees it in the mirror, he thinks that it is too big and perhaps a smaller one would have been better. At the same time, Piero reminds himself that if he had done it at that age, it was because he wanted and shouldn’t regret it, so that’s why he kept it. After that, he never thought of doing another one and considered not to have any more. He has never been questioned about the tattoo and did not face any issues because it is on his back and usually covered. – Piero, 34 from Italy
TRANSFORMATION Gamma was thinking about getting a tattoo since she was about 20 years old, but then she had to convince herself to get it. She finally did it in 2010. “It’s not easy, always thinking should I have it or should I not, because in the Philippines if you have a tattoo it’s difficult to get a job”. Her mother influenced her decision. “She has very small tattoos, which she got because she wanted to cover some scars and they were very nice. She actually told me not to get it”. “I thought that if I want to have something permanently marked it has to be meaningful and symbolic to me. I was the one who drew and drafted it. The big butterfly in the middle is me, and the small ones are my kids, one for each of the girls. Butterflies at the beginning of their lives are worms, and then they change into something beautiful and colourful that you don’t expect”. When she finally determined herself to get it, she was ready. She doesn’t have any regrets since she thought about it for more than 20 years, which was a long time to decide. Recently she had seen more tattoo pictures that might inspire her to get more done, but she is not yet sure about it. She did not face any difficulties as it is located on the back of her neck and not very visible. Unless she wears something open, no one can see it. – Gamma, 40 from the Philippines
CALM AND PEACEFUL Jiny had always wanted one, probably since college, but just got her first tattoo a month ago in Bangalore, India. Everyone and everything had an influence on her; people around her, friends, posters, etc. She thought the tattoos looked nice and wanted to have something small and petite. Considering two options, the word ‘Warrior’ or ‘Serenity’, she made her choice. The second one described her personality better as a calm, peaceful and a nature type person, which she believes she is. The tattoo doesn’t make her feel different, but it makes her happy, especially after waiting for so long. She did not have issues so far at work. It’s only a month old, so still very new and a lot of people in her family have not seen it yet. At work she wears full sleeves, thus, never had a problem. – Jiny, 30 from India
RELATION Melanie did her tattoo one year and a month ago, influenced by her sister who was the brain of the entire concept. They both decided to have the same design that reflects their personality. Although she has agreed with her sister’s choice, she wanted it personalised according to what would suit her individuality. So, they both got a ‘Compass’ that describes direction, but she added a floral element. Melanie says that the tattoo does not make her happy or sad. “It feels normal. In the beginning, it was a nice thing, and now it’s just there”. She has no regrets and does not think she would want to remove it despite the challenges elaborating on this further. “First of all, it’s tough being a woman in the kitchen. I am a chef. And when you have a tattoo they judge you even more. People say all sorts of things to me, and it gets more difficult to work there. Since it’s not always covered, people talk. Sometimes I work with Indians, so they keep saying ‘Who will marry you if you have a tattoo’. It’s difficult in the workplace sometimes. Not always, but I have faced it. They say ‘You cannot perform well as a chef’, and this thing adds more pressure on me. So when they see me with a tattoo, they ask if I have just come out from jail”. – Melanie, 26 from India
DIRECTION It’s been a year and a month since Melissa got her tattoo, but she had been thinking about it for three years before her final decision. That was quite a long time, but it was the social media that inspired her. She followed a few good tattoo artists on Instagram, and after seeing their beautiful work, she felt the need of getting that art on her skin. “There’s this story by Roald Dahl called ’SKIN’ about tattooing and tattoo artists. One of the darker stories I read when I was in school, which kind of always caught my attention and made me think of getting one”. Regarding the design, she explains that the ‘Compass’ tattoo has a lot of personal meaning. First of all, it relates to her profession as a geologist in the past and also as finding a direction. “My sister and I were going through a lot of designs that we wanted together. There were very cute ones, but I felt it would be better to get something meaningful”. After choosing this particular design of a compass, Melissa and her sister went to the tattoo parlour. The artist was enquiring about their personal preferences, what they liked. Besides the geologist compass, she told the artist, she was keen on dancing. Not able to find anything by herself that combines both elements, she had to rely on his choice. He drew it on the spot, and she liked it. It was perfect for her. “It definitely sums up everything about me. I did notice a difference in myself after I got the tattoo. I feel more confident with myself and stronger. I don’t hold back now as much as I used to. It just makes me be myself and not be afraid to show people who I am”.
Melissa was surprised she did not experience any challenges. She expected that people would judge her for having a tattoo on her skin, especially when volunteering at the church. Hence, half of the time she would cover it within the Indian community. She shares her experience by revealing, “There was this one day at church I volunteered to teach kids, and I wore a half sleeve shirt rolled up. Then my co-teacher said that it looked very good and asked why I was covering it. That surprised me. I thought it would be negative because people are always associating some kind of bad character with tattoos. They don’t see it for what it is, and it means something to you. To me, it’s art. They don’t generally see it that way”. Everybody likes her tattoo and she receives many compliments about its beauty and they like all the elements of it. They keep asking her about its meaning. And every time she gets questioned about it, she feels good. Only a few weeks back there was a moment of regret that lasted just for 5 minutes after realising that it would be with her for life and will not scrub off. Then she reminded herself, that she had thought about it before and will be fine. – Melissa, 28 from India
COOL Githa had planned her design when she was 21 years old, but only did the tattoo last year, because she had to convince herself that she would never regret it. She thought she would do it after getting married and certainly did so. “I am a little bit old-fashioned that way” [laughing].
“I am very happy with it. Doesn’t really make me feel anything special. I just love it on me. I like seeing it on me every day, and I don’t regret it at all. Maybe when you ask me again when I’m 70 years old if I regret when it’s all gone inappropriate then maybe yes, but right now I do not have any regrets”.
No one inspired her, she just thought that it looks cool. She always wanted to have a tattoo over the shoulder. Hence, that was the initial idea, but later it became longer and longer and more simple. When talking about the design, Githa comments that it couldn’t just go over the shoulder because it would look weird. Therefore, it had to be longer. Starting from above the right breast moving towards her back just going through the body curve and all the way down across her waistline towards the left side would make the design complete. In the beginning, maybe because she was younger and more girlier, she had in mind to have a little butterfly and a little flower here and there but then she decided to have just the ‘Vine’.
She never faced any issues because her tattoo is hidden. It is very private, and unless she is wearing something revealing, nobody can see it.
According to Githa, there is no specific reason, and there is no meaning. She just always thought it would look nice. But it took her 14 years to have the guts to do it.
– Githa, 36 from Indonesia
EXPRESSION OF LOVE It was four years ago when Deepu was in love with his wife. Being his girlfriend at that time, he wanted to impress her. So he decided to put the first letter of their names ‘D’ & ‘S’ on his body. It has been a while since he first had the idea to get his body inked. There was a conversation between them when she mentioned to him that her previous boyfriend tattooed her name on his body, and that is why she loved him. He decided to surprise her by doing the tattoo on her birthday. “I would say my love for her inspired me”. Deepu likes tribal art and traditional ways without any artificial designs. They have their own meanings, which is why he chose it. ‘D’ is the first initial of his name, and ‘S’ is his wife’s name – Sunita. The other lines were from a tribal art that was centuries old, suggested by his tattoo artist. The second one has his wife’s full name and on top of it is his son’s name – Surya, covered on top with Tribal art. This was the second tattoo he added two months after their son was born. On the back is another tribal art design, gifted by his wife. He wanted to cover the entire arm area, and she chose this design as a gift from her side.
He confirms he feels awesome and has no regrets. “People say that tattoos lead to skin infections. To be frank, it’s my fifth year having a tattoo, and I don’t have any infections thanks to God nothing has happened. But I will still continue to get more”. He plans to get a bigger tattoo with his wife’s photo on his back. He has never faced challenges.”Some religious people ask why I would do this. But it’s their religion and beliefs, and I do not have any issues with that. My parents, especially my mum, are totally against it. However, it’s my wish. They can’t say anything”. – Deepu, 36 from India
HAPPINESS Nadia was 22 years old when she first decided to get a tattoo. After being inspired by her best friend’s body covered up with tattoos, she got curious and asked her friend why she did it. Her friend shared that all her tattoos connoted something, which in turn pushed Nadia to get her body inked. Hence, the first one, ‘Hope & Faith’, she acquired in 2012 and it made her very excited, placing the beginning of her body embellishment journey. “Getting something inked on your body is like waking up to it every day, like moral support, and I believe in hope and faith. Influence is like seeing a lot of people, and if you’re close to someone, you start reading them. It was just like that. It reminds me of existence, truth and happiness and stuff like that”. She has more tattoos on her arms because both hands are used the most in her daily life. Every moment her eyes fall into words like ‘Let it go’, ‘Killing your temptations’ and ‘Stay true to your loved ones’. Nadia has 17 tattoos so far, and each one has its meaning, an expression of her life. ‘Let it go’ symbolises a relationship that lasted for seven years. She says they are still good friends, but seeing the tattoo gives her the strength to let that attachment go. Through ‘Temptations’ she warns herself not to make wrong decisions in life. These, along with ‘Hope & Faith’ and ‘Karma & Courage’ mean a lot to her. “You know what Karma is… what goes around, comes around. Once I saw the Hindu God Ganesha in my dreams, so the next day I went and got him tattooed. Maybe he was dancing in my dreams, so it was a good sign”. Besides these, she also got the ‘Triden’ from Lord Shiva, which she did at times when she was feeling low. “It means ‘Aim towards the sky, if you miss it, you’ll hit the lofty mountains’ and always believe in yourself”.
Since 2014 she received a traditional Maori Tattoo from New Zealand that has 21 meanings like luck, success, devotion, love, karma, etc. Another one is called ‘Koru’. She has more words than designs. She explains her tattoos ‘I will either find my way or I will make one’ by stating, “In life, of course, there are always problems and sometimes you are strong, and sometimes you are not. So I decided that I would make it work out for myself. Every time I feel down, these words remind me of myself. You don’t need reminders. But if you are in front of a mirror looking at your skin, it reminds you who you are and why you have it”. Tattoos make Nadia feel extremely happy. She does not regret them at all. In fact, she is going to have more. “It makes me feel different from other people. I don’t judge anyone. So it’s just like a basic reminder about small things that mean a lot to me. Hence, I want them to be a part of my body”. If she finds true love, she will have his whole name on her left finger just like the one on her right finger. Never faced any difficulties having the tattoos, maybe only with her mother, because when she was about to do her first one she was afraid to ask her, she was sure she would say no. “After I got inked, there was a little bit of argument in the house, but then she left it”. – Nadia, 30 from India
REMEMBRANCE OF MY LIFE Giuseppe grew up surrounded by people, including his father who had a lot of tattoos. His uncle is a tattoo artist as well. From an early age, he was used to seeing his father’s friends coming to get a tattoo. That inspired him, but he had to wait until he completes 18 years of age to be able to get one without his parent permission. Today, Giuseppe has many different tattoos and each one has its connotation. He did all of his tattoos depending on their meanings related to him. For example, he likes the Japanese because of their history and meanings like the ‘Onimaska’ or the ‘Samurai’. Some just remind him of when he was younger, therefore he also has cartoons”. Furthermore, he explains that the ‘Onimaska’ in Japan is a demon, but there is a good demon and a bad one. “It’s a Japanese belief that the good demons don’t let life harm you and keep you safe from bad influences, as a protection from bad omens”.
Next one is a Celtic cross, which he made in the memory of his three years spent in Ireland. Another one, ‘Wanderlust’ he thinks is a cool tattoo. He likes travelling, hence it’s more about remembering something forever. “When you do a tattoo, you know it’s something that is going to stay forever in your life. I never regret whenever I get a tattoo. I like each one and I’ll keep them forever. Even if I would like to cover one, still it will remain a part of me, so I’ll never regret them”. Giuseppe had faced an issue concerning a job application, but he never regretted. He says that some airlines do not allow you to have a tattoo below the elbow. He applied for an in-flight chef position, but since he had the tattoo, (his sister’s first letter) he was not accepted. He wasn’t allowed even for an interview. That was the first time he encountered a problem having a tattoo. – Giuseppe, 31 from Italy
The one in front of his right leg replicates Mexican beliefs as a remembrance about someone important to them that has passed away. “So the dead go on to a better life and protect you as well”. That’s why their tattoos are very colourful and always contain a flower, he explains. Going more into details, he points out that Mexicans actually do these drawings on their faces on the 2nd of November, known as ‘The day of the dead’ believing their beloved ones will revisit. “It’s about remembering someone who passed away but in a good way”. Another one means to never give up. When he was younger, he liked watching cartoons and he is still attracted to comics and manga which has influenced his cartoon tattoo. They remind him of his childhood without any pressures of the grown-up life. He also tattooed his name in Arabic because he has lived outside of Italy for seven years and the past four years he has been living in the UAE.
FREEDOM When she was in college at the age of about 21, Falan did her first ‘Scorpion’ tattoo as a way to face her fear. She shares she is afraid of scorpions, because “it hurts you and you die, and it dies too”. Her sister’s colourful fairy tattoo on the shoulder was her inspiration. After she did it and returned home, she showed it to Falan and made her fall in love with it. That is when she decided to have a tattoo. She worked hard for it, did an internship and got a job to get it with her own money. But she thought coloured tattoos would not go well with her dark skin, that is why all of her designs are black. The first design was a ‘Cherry blossom tree’, but for her, it was not about the cherry blossom, but the tree itself and its roots. The base of the tree is formed by the bark and the stem with branches as a symbol of the beginning of her carrier and growth. After being promoted, she added the blossoming flowers. “They say once you get one tattoo on your body, you keep wanting to get more. It’s an addiction”. The next one she did just for fun is ‘Snake Poison’ written in Chinese. The snake is her Chinese horoscope and poison goes in line with it. There was nothing in particular, related to this design, but she says, “When I want to do something, I want it to relate to myself”. The letter ‘M’ represents her husband’s football passion being a fan of ‘Manchester United’. Since she was doing a tattoo, he wanted her to have something that relates to him besides his name. The letter has a tail, illustrating the logo of the team.
She has never consulted with anyone before getting her body modified. “I feel free, also tattoos make me feel great. When I was small, I used to be very chubby, so I didn’t like to expose my body or wear cute sleeveless tops or anything like that because I used to be very shy”. After Falan did the first tattoo, she began exposing it by revealing her shoulder so that people could see it, followed by the second one on the other shoulder. Once she did the tree on her back, she started wearing transparent or backless clothes. “They gave me more confidence to show my body off, so I wasn’t shy anymore. I was, and still am a fat chubby kid, but you just can’t see it. No regrets, I am happy, and going to make more”. She has not faced any difficulties nor challenges because they are not visible in regards to work life and anything where there is a ‘No Tattoo’ policy. That’s why they are seen only when she reveals them. – Falan, 28 from India
ARTISTIC Sanoop got his first tattoo about ten years ago, but it was not something that he planned. Except for the first one on his right arm, the rest were all planned. It was a guitar, which at that time was looking good, but then started to fade. He thought it wasn’t right, so he got it covered up. He did not have anyone or anything in particular that influenced him, it was entirely his decision. It was not like he was missing something. Nobody told him to get a tattoo, he just always liked to have it. One day he and his friends were doing something, and he just decided to get a tattoo done, which was the guitar. “I love ‘The Rock’... if you have seen Dwane Johnson’s bull on his left arm. As a kid while growing up I always loved that. In a way, Dwane Johnson was my inspiration”. He says he didn’t realise that earlier. The two on both his arms don’t have any meaning, but there is a reason for the one on his left leg. “I like to be alone, so this [‘Forest’ design] shows that about me. In the front, it looks like I am nothing but from the back, I am something. That’s why on the front side of the tattoo you can see dried out trees, and at the back you can see the actual trees growing”. The design on the right arm was something that attracted Sanoop. “I took a lot of time taking ideas from many places. I draw myself as well. I drew one, but I wasn’t happy with what I did, though it’s very similar to the tattoo I got. My design was more attractive. So through my idea, I got the tattoo done”.
“It makes me stand out. It pulls me out of the crowd. That’s me. When you have tattoos, people automatically think you are not a regular guy. You’re not just a machine who wakes up in the morning and goes to work, comes back home, sleeps and eats. You don’t have a normal mechanical life. When you have tattoos people think that you are not that, you must be more than that”. People often approach him asking if he is an artist, a designer, a musician, maybe into playing the guitar. When he replies that he is not any of those but a dancer, then that makes sense to them. Sanoop has had many challenges, and still does not regret. He works in customer service at the front desk where he cannot just roll up his sleeves, sit and relax. He has to cover them up all the time and make sure his customers, staff or management don’t see them. “You get judged when you have tattoos or piercings in this country. Wherever you go you see older people look at you and tell their friends to stay away from this guy or just keep him away. That kind of behaviour kills it over here, but also in India when you go to certain places you have the same type of people’s mentality towards tattoos”. – Sanoop, 30 from India
“Heavily tattooed women can be said to control and subvert the ever-present ‘male gaze’ by forcing men (and women) to look at their bodies in a manner that exerts control”2 – Margo Demello, Bodies of Inscription: A Cultural History of the Modern Tattoo Society, 2000
MAKING A MARK Despite the ancient existence of tattoos, early contemporary body art depicted a negative approach influenced by gangs and prisoners. Although quite common among them as well as sailors and marines, it was not as popular as it is today. Body modification emerges into a significant transition towards much more comprehensive mainstream that encompasses a sub-cultural community. Tattooing, with its pre-historical roots, has become a tradition passed on to generations, changing perceptions and their role through centuries. To practice this form of art, family members acquired specific skills to create safe, beautiful and dramatic images on the body’s canvas in spite of some arguments referring to its health consequences. Secretly hidden or proudly exposed, body embellishment has turned into a social behaviour associated with cultural traditions, biological characteristics, and lifestyle. No matter the process and the reason, tattoos imply something distinctive and intimate. The ink on the skin unveils secrets, bringing to the forefront many untold stories. Moreover, it is a self-expression and individuality marked for a lifetime unless removed.
Tattoos reveal an identity, shed light on self-discovery and communicate stories that words cannot tell, more likely to define personal intentions as to why people did or get their body inked. Some consider tattoo art as a body decoration, for others is a mark of social affiliation. They improve low self-esteem and confidence, replace or add something missing and express something hidden beneath the skin. Covering up body defects with even a subtle tattoo design not only makes the wearer feel attractive and desirable but also improves social ethics. Scandalous, daring, seductive, provoking disgust, inspiration or motivation, tattoos signify personal statements that narrate unique stories. Body modification is evidence, which leaves its mark on sub-cultural values.
References: 1 2
Depp Impact (2013) Johnny Depp’s Body Art. Available at: http://www.deppimpact.com/bodyart.php Goodreads (2017) Quotes About Tattoo. Available at: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/tattoo
More on ‘Body Talks: Stories Beneath the Skin’:
izagorskaphotography.com youtube.com
All photographs and text Š Ivanka Zagorska Photography 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.