Artistry in the Filipino Tattoo
Tattooing is oftentimes viewed as some sort of taboo but for many Filipino Tattoo artists, this is a form of craft or skill where one can demonstrate the beauty or voodoo that results in a tattoo artist's piercing prowess.
Tattooing is gaining popularity in the Philippine but the popularity is reserved to the types of people who see body art as a form beauty and those who consider tattooing as a form freedom of expression. If others consider art as ephemeral, tattoo artists probably consider it permanent! (A tattoo stays permanent unless removed by laser or surgery.) The president of the Philippine Tattoo Artists Guild (PhilTAG), Alfred Guevara, in reaction to critics who see tattoo as a waste of money, says "All of us have the right to do whatever we want with our bodies. But we tattoo artists see our bodies as part of our art. The flesh is a canvas as well, it's a living canvas. And sure, tattoos are a bit of a luxury because they can cost money, everyone is entitled to his own opinion on that. But it is the same as art. People spend even more on art. The only difference would be if one refuses to see tattoos as an art form as well, if you limit art to what is on paper alone. [Manila Bulletin]"
The art of tattooing stirs a lot of controversy. The reasons are varied and can range the from magical reasons to professional reasons. In various places across the globe including the Philippine, the presence of a tattoo in one's body can be a hindrance for getting employment. In the Philippine, the stereotype of tattooed men are men who had been jailed. This stereotype is a stereotype. Many men and women who have tattoos have definitely not seen a jail at all.
Many Filipino Tattoo artists have made this craft their profession. Some of these artists have formed associations and have presence on the Internet. It would be rewarding for tattoo enthusiasts to know that these very artists have provided an avenue for anyone to be able to order tattoo designs over the Internet. You can find a directory of Filipino Tattoo artists in the following websites:
http://www.filipinotattoos.com/contact.html http://www.apat-na-alon-tribe.com/contact.html
If you are in need of information on Philippine tattoo shops, you may want to check out this website:
http://tattoojoy.com/tattoo_studios/country/Philippines/1.htm
It seems that getting a tattoo is not just getting some pattern painted and pierced through your body. Many Filipino tattoo artists see tattooing as a real art and therefore, the reason for the design for a particular tattoo must also be included in the art. For example, in coming up with tattoo designs, the artists from "Tatak ng Apat na Alon Tribe" (Mark of the Four Waves) indicate that a tattoo should reflect your history, your roots and your personality or persona. As such, their website posts preliminary questions to the persons whom they would design a tattoo for. These questions range from one's birthday and zodiac sign, languages spoken, family background (i.e. whether one came from a family of warriors), your identification with some animal, and a host of other interesting questions that would help create a framework for a particular tattoo design pattern. The list of questions can go on and on. Tattooing is not simple body painting. It is an art that must blend with one's own self.
The president of PhilTAG says "We believe that body needling is a deeper form of art that needs to be explored, so we?ll continue to host events to help promote the tattoo industry and bring together the community of tattoo artists and enthusiasts [Manila Bulletin]".
What sorts of designs are popular among Filipino Tattoo artists? Name it. They have it. Whether you want a dragon on your back with a tail that extends from your shoulders all the way to your chest, or if you simply want tribal motifs, or if you simply want the name of your sweetheart pierced on your ankles, Filipino Tattoo artists can do it. In other words, the designs that the artists can do are limited only by your own imagination.
For a sample gallery of works by Filipino Tattoo artists, you may want to check out the websites mentioned in this article including the following ones:
http://www.filiislander.com/filipinotattoo.html http://www.tattooartists.org
References:
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2005/04/10/I2005041032248.html
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