On most mornings, when Pooja Stanslas, a third-generation Malaysian of Indian origin, looked at the mirror in her ancestral home in Kochi, she would feel depressed. Right across her right breast, there was a white scar. It was a grim reminder of the close shave she had with cancer. A small area had become malignant and the tumour had been removed through surgery. “To be careful, they removed more than what was necessary. So there is a rather large scar,” she elaborates.
Stanslas, who works as an online journalist, toyed with the idea of doing cosmetic surgery to cover the scar. But she felt she should do something less invasive and decided that tattoos would be a safer option. Through a mutual acquaintance, Stanslas was introduced to Delhi-born Ankita Jain, who was running a set-up called ShivOham Tattoo studio in Kochi. The 28-year-old, who has studied Bachelor of Fine Art from Delhi University, worked with prominent tattoo artists in Delhi before moving to Kochi.
Jain was initially apprehensive when approached with Stanslas’s request but later agreed to create a mandala on her scar. Thus, on one fine November morning the artist began the work on Stanslas’s body. First, she cleaned the intended area with an antibacterial soap and then shaved the hair on the skin with a razor. With a stencil, Jain then drew a mandala of the Hindu religious symbol Om and placed it over the breast. A disposable needle was used to carefully fill in the mandala with organic ink. The tattoo was completed in a matter of three hours. “It had to be done perfectly, otherwise the tattoo would stick out, like as if it were embossed,” says Jain.
Stanslas was overjoyed with the outcome, and says,“Now when I look at the mirror, I feel so confident. The scar had been a painful reminder of the past. Now I can see the ‘Om’, one of Hinduism’s most sacred mantras, and it makes me feel grateful for being given a second chance in life.” As for Jain, it was an elevating experience.
“The expression on Stanslas’s face when she looked at her tattoo was out of the world. I felt elated at being able to bring happiness to her.” In fact, the artist was so overwhelmed that she told Stanslas she would not charge her for the tattoo. “I am hoping that other breast cancer survivors would avail of tattoos to get over their trauma, and I will do it for free. This will enable women to overcome the stigma regarding tattoos,” says the 28-year-old about her decision.
Jain laments how tattoos are still not an acceptable form of art in the Indian society. “Many women are scared because they are not sure about how their husbands, mothers-in-law or society would react if they got a tattoo,” she says. Her clients are mostly women and belong to the families of Navy personnel stationed in the city or North Indian families. “Most of the women prefer mandalas or floral designs like roses. They also like it on the back because as and when it is necessary they can cover it,” adds the artist.
Jain has quite a few tattoos on her body, including an angel, a rose, a woman’s face and an image of a handsome young man. “This is how my father looked as a young man,” she reminisces about her father,
who passed away in 2012 of a heart attack.
She lives with that enduring pain but is also happy to be in Kochi. Jain’s business partner Priyanka Sivankutty, who she met in Bangalore, drew her to the city. “Priyanka told me there is scope for a quality
tattoo artist in Kochi, so I came here in May 2017. Kochi is a nice place. I am enjoying myself,” says the artist triumphantly.