Exploring Tattoos Like I Never Have Before
A Form of Identification, Marks of Cultural Identity or Social Status, Symbols of Devotion, Body Art, or Whatever Your Mother Thinks of It
One of my favourite things to see, anywhere I go, are tattoos. I strongly believe that they are the best thing you can for yourself – like paint on a canvas creating some staple in the history of art, to add another beautiful, colorful, or just strange yet incredible element to your personality. If you truly are into that sort of stuff. They are also a great way to express who you are and all the beautiful things you are about in life.
I have a full moon on the left side of my chest and it makes me feel good. I have always loved the moon. It represents form, for me, in a way no other natural object ever has. A form of change, of beauty, and everlasting presence, an enigmatic energy that is simply dazzling the eyes. A small dot in the sky, far large in size. I enjoy people complimenting me on it or asking me "why the moon?" It makes me feel interesting.
My mother was not surprised when I told her I would get it on a Saturday that was coming that week. I had always wanted one since I was a child. I had seen a full rose on the back of my Primary School teacher’s daughter. She had come to our class to see her mother for a key or something. I did not stop talking about it all that day, and every other day after.
When I came home on December break from University that year (2016), she got to see it in real life and she was in awe for like a day, very happy that it was something small — slightly less than 4cm top-down. Nonetheless, she treated me the same way she had always had. Acknowledging that I could do whatever I wanted with myself and my body.
And there are so many other non-living and living objects or elements that I would like to animate on my body. For example, the palm trees I like so much. That resemble a sense of freedom for me, because of how tall and taken by the wind they become.
Maybe I might get the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. I just love how he grins with all of his face and how he stays pulling legs. Oh, wherever the ink will take me the next time I stop by a tattoo shop. The ink, meaning a final decision I came to after much, much consideration. You see, I never like to wing it. We all know how that has regrets and all.
For many nations and cultures around the world, tattoos play a significant part of their history and heritage.
The Maori people of New Zealand are culturally known for their Ta Moko practice. A variety of lines drawn on their faces and bodies, by way of broad and thin silver combs or bones that are dipped in black pigments and carved to the skin.
The significance of their tattoos are essentially in their artistry and aesthetics. Also, in the messages they speak in the community. They establish one’s identity and the role they play as a member of their family or community.
The Samoan people have a long history in which the male contemporaries must be adorned with Pe'a, tattoos covering an entire segment of their bodies. This is either from the neck to the waist, a whole arm, or from the waist to the legs. The process is to be completed especially by a master tattooist tapping onto the skin, for as long as up to two weeks, usually six or more hours each day.
It is said to be a painful, yet meaningful experience. It signifies a man's ability to prepare, to endure, and have control over the process as well as other challenges they will face in life. The tattoo itself serves one with their cultural identity and obligations to the self and community.
On the other hand, some nations or cultures have a complex relationship with tattoos.
Many African nations have a history with tattoos. Mainly, in Sub-Saharan and Northern African regions. The most common method occurs through a process of the skin being being deeply cut into, to the point where the wound eventually leaves a distinct mark – called scarification. Another form of this is known as cicatrization, where the instrument cutting onto the skin is laced with ash and soot to leave an even bolder mark.
Africa, being the larger continent that it is, consisting of many nations within nations as well as different religions and tribes that have clashing views on certain practices. In most of the Islamic regions, tattoos are frowned upon. While the likes of henna tattoos, which are impermanent works of symbolic art typically at the hands and feet, and have been considered highly by the Egyptians, from as early as ancient times.
Tattoos in Japanese culture have been used to brand and identify criminals during ancient times. There was a small point in time where people made fashion statements of them, which was sparked by Chinese literature around the 1600s. Yet around the 19th century, there was a lawful ban on tattoos, due to how they were perceived by the government as "barbaric or backward". A ban that was later lifted by the occupation of the United States. Tattoos in Japan have also been associated with the Yakuza, described by Mark Oliver as "a complex group of syndicates and the country's most powerful and misunderstood criminal gangs".
Today, it has become a matter of individual preference. Some places have restricted access to people with visible and large tattoos, while others have not. Some people still generally look down on people with tattoos, although more and more people have come to accept tattoos on people whether or not the subject truly matters that deeply to them.
Many people around the world are this way about tattoos in our present times – they are mostly critical of them, indifferent towards them, or fascinated and incredibly interested.
This goes for my experiences as well. Not everyone I have ever encountered has been as welcoming to my tattoos as I would like. Some people in my family even ask what went wrong with me. Growing up as a weird and actively curious child who was absorbed in mostly American entertainment media did not really help my case much.
I am one to respect other people's views as long as they do not negatively impact the world or other people in any way. You can hate my tattoo all you want and frown in my face if you happen to spot it, that is all on you. I will however say this much, I am very much against the idea that there are still people denying people jobs or other human rights because of their tattoos. I understand that most people are not comfortable with the idea of having a doctor with a dragon on their arm or wires on their face. But what if he is an incredibly smart and capable person for the medical line of work? What if we stopped judging people based on these little doodles they like? A lot of cruel people who have engaged in heinous criminal acts do not have tattoos. Let us remember that the next time we judge Selena for having a butterfly at her neck and dyeing her hair blue.
Author's Notes
Thank you for spending your time to read my essay. What you do with yourself is yours and nobody else's.
I mainly write about topics that popped up in my head and I said OKAY! My head, a really large space filled with all sorts of nonsense about our world.
I can't say I found my niche yet, if I even want to do that. I'm just a creative soul outside of a vacuum. Anything can and everything will interest me. So you can only imagine what I will write about next. Follow me and let's find out together!
In the meantime, I have published other interesting topics so far, if you could just click on my profile and have a look.
