With tattoo art shedding the image of a passing fad and acquiring the status of a regular art form, tattoo artists had come together in the city to celebrate their art at the Heartwork Tattoo Festival being organised at DLF Place, Saket.
Artists, from across the country and beyond the borders, turned the festival into a melting pot of different cultures and traditions, with each artist showcasing an attempt to fuse different elements from different themes.
Transcending limits
Glancing through myriad designs, those depicting deities in different avatars, transcending the limits of religion, faith and culture made the festival stand out, as clients displaying a “gothic” Shiva or Lord Shiva merging into Lord Buddha or Lord Buddha surrounded by tribal motifs made for a visual extravaganza.
An interesting aspect that surfaced in the festival was attempts by the artists to merge elements from different religions and come up with refreshing designs. Anil Tamrakar, a tattoo artist from Nepal, spoke about his studio’s focus on “Traditional Nepal” and how he attempts to blend traces of Buddhism and Hinduism, laced with oriental designs.
While the focus remains on temples, deities and traditional motifs, the element of religious amalgamation is apparent. “For me, the fusion is a sign of modernity, where different faiths and traditions coexist in harmony,” he said.
Mixing art
Ajit Patiker, another artist from Nagaland, displayed a similar enthusiasm in blending different cultures and coming up with hybrid designs. For him, the thrill of mixing gothic art with Japanese orientalism and traditional faiths in his home town was what kept his creative juices flowing.
His fascination for gothic art forms induced him to create designs that seamlessly merged motifs and figures from different religions, yet retain their indigenous charm. Pointing at a design which was a gothic variation of Lord Shiva, he added that minor modifications like tweaking anatomical features, like replacing Shiva’s serene eyes with dark and intense gothic ones, adds a completely different charm and meaning to the design.
“For me, blending different cultures and traditions is reflective of my personality. It is like adapting to the ways of the world and understanding that even gods like Lord Shiva can have different sides to his personality,” Mr. Patiker said.
Gateway to inner self
Taking tattoo art as an expression of the self, many tattoo artists spoke about how they customised each design according the personal aspects of their clients. With people finding tattoo art as a gateway to their inner selves and giving their innermost emotions a physical manifestation, artists displayed a sense of pride in being able to contribute to the personal journeys of millions of strangers.
“People find a certain solace in inscribing designs that reflect some aspect of their life. It could be a personal loss or a certain victory or a motivational reminder to keep going in tough times. For instance, if someone’s beloved pet dies, the person could inscribe a flower and not necessarily the image of the pet as a loving memory. Similarly, the semicolon tattoo is a rage among clients who want a gentle reminder to be strong, a physical mark that serves as that reminder,” says Ina, a tattoo artist from Spain, who now has her studio in Germany.
The famed artists who have participated at the festival are Paul Booth, Triplesix Studios and Vlado from the UK, Aloka tattoos from Sri Lanka, Kesho the Second from Japan, and Jamie Mahood. The famous Indian artists who shared the dais were Lokesh Verma, Vikas and Micky Malani and Alex Shimray.
