Ink goes mainstream in Kaohsiung

The Taiwan Tattoo Convention draws global artists, fierce competition and thousands of fans, showing how tattoo culture has moved from taboo to mainstream art

• By Julien Oeuillet / Contributing Reporter in Kaohsiung

A man walks through the crowd, naked except for a G-string made from rope, his body fully adorned with intricate artwork that makes him look like the hero of a seventies Hong Kong movie.

This is a common sight at the Taiwan Tattoo Convention, which is currently being held in Kaohsiung until tomorrow.

“Tattoo is a very special kind of art, very delicate, very different,” says Chen Tai-yun (陳運泰), who has operated the convention for 16 years. “You can’t regret it, it has to be meaningful. It’s an art that shows compassion.”

Although youngsters make up the bulk of the audience, there are people of all ages. One older-looking Japanese man proudly displays his “bodysuit” (a tattoo that covers almost the entire body).

INCLUSIVE

Tattoo culture is very inclusive — there are many styles, but all are valid.

“There are tattoos that are cute or religious or very artistic,” Tai says. “I invited people from different countries so the public can get more perspective on what kind they want, a style that they probably did not think about before.”

Tattoo studios from around the world show their art and offer to tattoo people on site.

“It’s a really big convention,” says Riccardo Lauri, a tattoo artist from Bologna-based Lagunatre Tattoo. “It’s overwhelming. On just the first day I saw so many good people, good artists.”

He mentions being impressed by “the precision” of Taiwanese tattoo artists.

Tai always wanted his convention to be a place where tattoo cultures could mix.

“People used to think that you can only wear tattoos from your culture,” he says, “but we show you can mix Western styles and Asian styles of tattoos. There is no discrimination, no boundary.”

A young man with a shaved head bears tattoos all over his scalp, while others carry a full graphic novel on their limbs.

Kaohsiung’s convention is reportedly the biggest in East Asia, to Tai’s immense satisfaction.

TABOO NO MORE

“Asian culture didn’t accept tattoos in the past,” he says, “because it was associated with criminals. I created this convention to show this is an artform and change this perception.”

This year, Tai brought an important guest: Ami James, an American tattoo artist with a large following in the field.

And he concurs with Tai: “One of the reasons why I ended up in my position is because it was important for me to bring tattoos into the mainstream,” James says. “It used to be taboo. But we convinced people to look at tattoos as an art rather than the stigma that was being pushed on it. It’s for everybody now. Art is art!”

This is James’s first visit to Taiwan. He sees “a lot of great art, I’m really surprised about how much talent there is. New people come in, change things, push things, I love this.”

A large number of Taiwanese tattoo artists present at the convention are women.

Japanese tattoo artist Horihina, from Osaka-based studio Good Times Ink, says “there are not as many women who work as tattoo artists in Japan despite our big scene. And such conventions do not really exist, not with so many things. We only have competitions.”

Kaohsiung’s convention also has competitions.

A voice calls out for competitors in specific categories, such as “best large tattoo in green and black colors” to take the stage. Some are wearing only a G-string, while others simply roll up their pants or shirts.

“We assemble a panel of judges made up of tattoo artists who got awards or are specialized in the theme,” Tai explains. “Judges take into account the art, the colors and the presentation on the skin and body.”

Although he has his own studio, Top Tattoo (首席紋身), Tai himself does not get involved in the jury.

“This is how I keep credibility,” he says. “The hardest thing to create and establish such a convention is to get everyone’s trust. Tattoo artists like to keep their secrets, so I do not take part in events and they know this is not about promoting myself.”

SOCIAL VALUE

Tai is a firm believer in tattoo’s social value and tells the story of a girl who suffered burns to half of her body due to a propane gas explosion.

“She was depressed. I talked with her and she gave me ideas on what to tattoo on her to cover her scars and burn marks. Now she feels more brave than before.”

She later became a counselor for victims of burn injuries.

Tai’s vision that tattoos show someone’s light rather than their dark side is shared by most of the artists present.

Horikasiwa, a tattoo artist who came from Taichung, studied in Japan and finds inspiration in ukiyo-e.

“Tattoo is a lifestyle,” he says, “it’s about art. I want to enhance the taste of people and the environment around tattoo.”

He is also an underground rapper.

His eclecticism shows the connection between tattoo culture and other subcultures. Many people wear piercings. Some women appear in fetish-inspired clothing, while some men are dressed like cyberpunk samurai. But there is no elitism: even simpler styles are welcome.

Tai is very attached to Kaohsiung and wouldn’t set the convention anywhere else. “It’s my home. Other cities are just big cities, but Kaohsiung for me is everything.”

He says he will keep working to grow the convention: “every year we have new people, a new generation, new performers, so it gets better and better.”