Tattoo Blog

Mumbai: If you believe nothing is permanent except change and a tattoo,this one’s for you.The city will be the venue for the first-of-its-kind national convention involving ink and art.Only this one,mind you,also includes some mighty needles.
Called Indian Ink,the twoday tattoo convention will kick off at the World Trade Centre in Cuffe Parade on Saturday.It will boast over 25 celebrity tattoo artists from all over India who will be setting up booths to showcase their art form.Besides,five celebrity artists including Mumbais Al Alva,Chirag Jhala,Kolkata’s Abhinandan Basu and international artists-Nepals Mohan Gurung and Singapores Mr Jhonny-are going to be part of the jury.
Indian Ink aims to bring tattooing into the mainstream as a form of art and is a platform for established and upcoming artists to showcase their work all under one roof, says Shibanii Shah,proprietor of Eventos Promotions and More,an event management company that is organizing the expo.While tattoo conventions have been the norm in countries like Singapore and Nepal,Shah,who has two tattoos herself,felt the need for such a meeting in India as professional tattoo artists need that extra push into the market.The presence of so many brilliant tattoo artists,Shah feels,will serve as a form of encouragement for all.
Among the highlights of the two-day show are seminars by tattoo artist Nick Sharma who will touch upon interesting topics such as Black and White techniques.Artist Packo Baing,on the other hand,will be a star attraction in the visual arts category.With trance music playing in the background,the artist goes with the flow to paint on canvas and that art is then used as a tattoo design on people.Besides competitions and seminars,there is a bouquet of youthful events including freestyle football tricks,rock shows,a fashion show and an after party lined up.
Artist Chirag Jhala says the event would also encourage people to come up to them with the fears and concerns that they associate with tattoos.They may fear asking those questions in a studio.Besides,they will get a feel of the various styles of different artists, says Jhala,who has been to many conventions in Singapore,Malaysia and Thailand.Abroad,tattooing is a recognized art form and industry.You won’t find a single person without a tattoo entering the convention, he says.Says Shibanii Shah,I hope we too get there soon.After all,there is so much more to tattoos than butterflies and dragons. And short-term memory aids.