有一次跟
瑞典女生談到中國人如何看紋身，原來東西方對之看法很不同。中國人覺得紋身是黑社會才會做的事，有紋身 = 壞人，但外國人卻覺得那是藝術，很美麗，能表現個人的identity。我記得公司出版的書誌曾訪問一位香港很有名的紋身師傅，便打算介紹給瑞典女生，但由於那篇訪問是中文，我便找朋友替我翻譯(我的翻譯未到家啊！嗚！)
(click上圖可試閱更多有關我們對身體的迷思)
“Tattoo is only for gangsters.”. When people heard about tattoo, they would feel uncomfortable. This is true because since people who are living in Hong Kong, they think that tattoo is only for male, gangsters, and underground culture.
“Tattoo is only for gangsters.”. When people heard about tattoo, they would feel uncomfortable. This is true because since people who are living in Hong Kong, they think that tattoo is only for male, gangsters, and underground culture.
“But this is not the truth anymore.”, Gabe said. Gabe is a tattoo engraver. He helped some Hong Kong pop-stars and David Beckham to engrave tattoo. “ There are many different kind of people who are professional such as fireman, lawyers, and even some pop-stars, they visited my business before. Also tattoo patterns are totally different than the past. They are not only dragon, tiger, and phoenix anymore. Nowadays, there are many people started to have tattoo because they believe that it can represent them.”
Is it possible that we use our bodies to be the communication tool?
“Basically, tattoo is cool and it can show the whole world that how beautiful you are.” Gabe said. It is like a woman who is carrying a LV handbag. Although, she has a LV handbag, she needs to tell the whole world that her identity is qualified to use this brand. Sometimes, people always lose self- confident, but when others look at your tattoo and people appreciate it, ‘ Self- confident will come back’. However, people are from different background, they are chasing tattoo because it is a self-affirmation tool.
Gabe said that tattoo is a self-affirmation tool because people have patient to go through the pain from the engraving process. “ The traditional technique needs to use a needle to pierce the surface of the skin by hand, then engraver will pierce the ink into the skin. After a few hours, it only finishes a little pattern. But this kind of pain is not easy to handle, even a muscular man couldn’t handle this kind of pain, then he will be faint.” Fortunately, nowadays technique has already developed. The whole engraving process is working by machine instead of by hand. So, one little pattern only uses less than 30 minutes to finish and pain is reduced. However, needle pierces into skin, it is still painful.
“Although, people can use Anesthesia plaster to reduce the pain, I still tell my customer that, since you chose to engrave a tattoo, why don’t you try and feel the pain? The pain will stay deep inside your heart and it is meaningful.” Gabe said. Print is the most important feature of engraving tattoo. This is not a tattoo sticker, it is a forever mark, and pattern engraved on your body, you will never erase it.
“If a person thinks someone or something is memorable, he or she will think about the print.” Gabe said. “ For example, a father engraved his wife and child names on his arm, the names will motivate him to work hard and give a better living environment to them.” Suddenly, I remember a actor who has engraved his wife's name, but at last, they divorced. Then will it be forever regret?
“One day, when we become old, and talk about our stories with friends and families, these tattoo will be the record in our lives.” Record can be happy or it can be sad, and even it can be disgraceful. But, if you decided to engrave a tattoo, that means you accepted the history. Gabe shows his tattoo to us. “ Down there is a violent character, but on the top of the character has a Buddha. This is my history. When I was young, I was extremely insane. But now, I have changed.”
Because tattoo is a forever print, when Gabe helps customers to engrave a tattoo, he has a lot of pressure. “ Others gave me their bodies, I will respect and very careful, also I insist to use the most professional machine, and I will be more aware of the engraving process. I always start to work at 2 in the afternoon, but I will work until midnight.”
Gabe is extremely angry when people don’t respect their bodies. “ You won't engrave a tattoo many times in your life, therefore, you need to think about it deeply. But, some people chose the cheapest place to engrave a tattoo, the result is to have an unacceptable body.” He said.
