URBAN INK
tattoo: untold inked stories
By Krithi Biju
Art has always been a medium for self-expression. Conveying stories through paint or sketches have always been relevant likewise tattoos have created a new wave of fascination in the world of art and self-expression ."People get themselves permanently inked to express their individuality. Tattoos are a puzzle to the onlookers but it represents the story of an individual" says Jessie a professional tattoo artist. This tradition is as long as 10,000 years. Tribes started inking themselves to represent their culture and gradually this became a part of our modern culture.
Credits : Odyssey
When you ask people why they decide to go under the needle, you'll discover more than one reason. Ask enough people and you'll start to notice something common.
Tattoos make you standout in a crowd and to some it's their biggest appeal.They don't want to look like any other individual that blends with the crowd so they get tattoos often quite bold and prominent.It's a physical manifestation of their personality because they want something that will represent their quirky or intellectual nature. "Every day at the studio we get to work with people of different perspectives.To know their story and to use their body as a canvas makes me feel like a creator, to visualize what the client wants and to execute it with a bit of my imagination gives me the energy to help people tell their stories" says Jessie. Deciding to permanently modify your body is an intensely personal act.A tattoo invokes a meaning to them that you might not understand but that doesn't matter to them because their tattoo raises their confidence and makes them feel better about themselves. It can be a reminder to never give up, a birth date of a loved one or their beliefs.
Tattoos describe people better than themselves.It allows the ink to speak for itself and as Jessie quotes"Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting story. "
