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He pointed a gun at her, she broke into a smile. Confused? Only a tattoo fest can throw up such intriguing scenarios! On Friday, a room on the first floor of The Saturday Club was teeming with tattoo enthusiasts at INK IT Season 2, powered by t2. Artists from all over — Mohan Gurung from Nepal, Sameer Patange from Mumbai, Lokesh Verma from Delhi and a host of Calcutta tattoo artists — had their weapons ready to stamp the adventurous on August 15-16.
The hum of the tattoo guns not only provided the background score but also proved that everyone meant business! And the sense of purpose was evident in the way the enthusiasts scoured the stalls lined neatly along the length of the room, and then headed for the chosen artist. “How you choose your artist is a personal thing, it’s like choosing the doctor you go to. You trust that person explicitly and you allow him/ her to work on your skin. There’s a bond that forms and nine times out of 10 you will end up being friends with your tattoo artist,” said Pankaj Talwar, CEO, Banana Entertainment, the organiser of Ink It.
t2 inks through.
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
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Student Sweety Goswami shows off her fourth tattoo, this one an image of a painting by Alex Grey on her leg. When and why did her tattoo tale start? “A few years ago I was in a lot of pain after I lost my father. I met tattoo artist Sunny Singh (of Pain 4 Sale) and told him that I would like to have a tattoo that would not only define me but also help me deal with the pain. He designed one with an angel, which represents both the happiness and sadness in my life,” said Sweety. Her other tattoos also define her personality. “I got a Marilyn Monroe tattoo (inset) since my life mirrors her. And when I die, I would like people to know the story of my life through my tattoos!”
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Poulomi Choudhury visited Delhi twice this year to get inked by Devilz Tattooz. So she was happy when this time the tattoo convention brought artist Alex (in picture) and Lokesh Verma to town! “I plan to get a new tattoo every year. On August 15, I got a portrait of my grandmom done. I want things and people who mean something to me to be permanently on me. I want the tattoos to remind me of certain experiences I had,” said the 25-year-old who got her first stamp in 2009.
TOP Tattoo TRENDS
1) Portraits: They are the most personal kind of tattoos one can get, mostly of family members, celebrities and even pets! They can look as real as photographs.
2) Biomechanical: Think mechanical parts like rods, gears, wires, nuts, bolts and pipes. The final result is like the machine parts are intermingling with the flesh!
3) Dotism: These tattoos are made with dots. There’s no lining and the designs are not filled in.
calcutta artists
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Calcutta Ink
Where: 181A Park Street (next to Arsalan)
Pocket pinch: Starts from Rs 8,000 for a portrait.
Artist speak: “Often people come to us to get the names of their girlfriends tattooed but we tell them to avoid that! A cover-up tattoo is possible but the price will go up,” said Sid Thapa (right) of Calcutta Ink, who has several stamps on his body. Portraits of his mother and grandmother on the chest, a crucifix quoting a verse from the Bible on his arm, images of a frog (“lucky sign”), Tibetan skull (“for rituals”), a foo dog (“for protection from evil”), a Maori owl (“for wisdom”), a tattoo machine and a dragon with yin yang. Whew!
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rites of passage
Where: City Centre New Town
Pocket pinch: Starts from Rs 1,000 (charges on sq inch basis)
Artist speak: “Getting inked is a passion. People put memories on skin, which is like a canvas. So when you look at a tattoo, you connect it to your past, or a memory,” said Kabir Ray (below) of Rites of Passage. He feels that Calcutta has a “booming market”. “I supply tattoo equipment so I know that for a fact. A lot of people want to become tattoo artists and set up their own parlours”. His next big thing? A body suit of tattoos!
Tuhi’s tattoo
Where: From her Dum Dum residence
Pocket pinch: Starts at Rs 1,200 (depending on the design)
Artist speak: “It is very difficult to be a girl tattoo artist in Calcutta. People are not very broad-minded; they cannot accept a female tattoo artist. When I told my parents that I wanted to pursue tattooing as a profession, they were dead against it. But now they support me a lot so here I am,” said Tuhi Dutta of Tuhi’s Tattoo, the only girl tattoo artist at Ink It.
Lizard’s Skin Tattoos
Where: 392/1 Prince Anwar Shah Road (opposite South City Mall) and in Avani Riverside Mall, 1st floor
Pocket pinch: First square inch, Rs 1,200
Artist speak: “People like customised tattoos. One client wanted his tattoo to say, ‘Time heals all’. So I thought of an image comprising a skull, dry leaves, a flying clock and blooming roses,” said Niloy of Lizard’s Skin Tattoos.
artists from outta town
Sameer Patange
Mumbai
Studio: Kraayonz
Tattoo Studio
Shop talk: “Lots of people like to express themselves through their tattoos. A tattoo is a medium for them to tell people what they are all about. To some it’s a fad; something they want to show off because it’s a piece of art. For others, it’s about wanting to see their own threshold of pain,” said Sameer.
Celeb connection: Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik and Sussanne Roshan, Sushmita Sen and Kangana Ranaut — Sameer is a popular name with the Bollywood brigade.
Trendspot: “Everyone wants to get Hrithik’s star tattoo. Many of his female fans come and tell me, ‘Sir we want you to do our tattoo’ and they are willing to pay a price for it!”
Pocket pinch: A minimum of Rs 2,500. Most of the work he does costs anything between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000.
Mohan Gurung
Kathmandu
Studio: Mohan’s Tattoo Inn
Shop talk: “I started this profession 14 years ago in Kathmandu. I express my feelings by creating designs. It’s my passion,” said Gurung.
Trendspot: “Dot tattoos and biomechanicals are popular and I see portraits getting more popular in India. Japanese designs are also the trend (mostly the yakuza design) along with Polynesian Maori tattoos which The Rock sports.”
Pocket pinch: Around Rs 3,000 per hour.
Lokesh Verma
Delhi
Studio: Devilz Tattooz
Shop talk: “Tattooing is becoming more acceptable in India. Earlier it used to be frowned upon. Now, even doctors and scientist are getting tattoos,” said Lokesh.
Trendspot: “Most of the guys get tattoos done on their biceps or the nape of their necks while girls prefer it on ankles and shoulders. Butterflies, flowers and angels are popular with the ladies although now they are getting more meaningful tattoos instead of anything random.”
Pocket pinch: Smaller tattoos cost Rs 2,000. A full-sleeve tattoo can cost anything between Rs 80,000 and Rs 100,000.
top tips
After getting a tattoo, it is very important to keep it away from sunlight because direct sunlight tends to kill the tattoo. If exposed, one might get rashes, boils or allergies. The tattoo might fade out. Later on, apply any good sunscreen lotion.
Check the profile of the tattoo artist, make sure the photographs are not taken off the Internet. Check the environment of the parlour when you step in.
Large tattoos tend to heal in one-and-a-half weeks. You need to wash the tattoo and keep it clean and don’t fiddle around with it too much.
Text: Arindam Chatterjee and Shweta Keshri
Pictures: Pabitra Das