QUEEN’S ROAD: Religious patterns are commonly used for tattooing, say artists from the city, but sensitivities are sometimes overlooked.
City Express spoke to professional tattoo artists following the furore over Matthew Gordon, an Australian national, inking an Indian goddess on his leg. Pradeep Menon of Dark Arts Studio believes the body is a temple, and the controversy is uncalled for. “It’s a personal choice where you want a tattoo. But given my upbringing, I would not sport a religious symbol on my leg.”
Buddhist designs
Tattoos have never shied away from religion, he said. His studio gets customers from South East Asia, who visit Bylakuppe in inner Karnataka. They are inspired by the Buddhist patterns at the Tibetan settlement. “They come to Bengaluru to get tattoos done because studios here are cleaner,” Pradeep said. Om and Shiva tattoos are equally popular, said Akil Anand, director of Skindeep Tattoo Studios in Indiranagar.
Among celebs
“In two days, my studio has inked Om on two customers,” he told City Express.
“Foreigners generally prefer other patterns. I have noticed that youngsters today feel more of a spiritual connect than a religious one, and the designs they choose reflect this,” he said.
Sandalwood celebrities are no strangers to getting inked and display religious symbols with pride. Actor Chiranjeevi Sarja sports a two-inch tattoo of Shiva on his chest. “He wanted an elaborate tattoo, but got busy with shoots and could come for only one of the many sessions needed,” said Beep Kundo, Director, Krayons Studio, Koramangala.
The artist has also inked actor-politician Jaggesh with a Shiva design. “It’s a tribute to his father, whose name is Shivalingappa. ‘Shiva’ is inscribed above the image, and below, the tattoo says ‘Appa’ (father),” he said.
Sai Yogendra, Vice President, Karnataka State Tattoo Studio and Artists’ Association, believes while everyone’s religious sentiments must be respected, freedom of expression must not be forgotten either.
“The Australian perhaps did not know that our deities are not tattooed on the leg. But the tattoo might be his way of showing respect to an Indian deity,” he said.
On his left hand, Yogendra sports a tattoo of Krishna with a dragon following him, and some people consider the combination inauspicious.
“Tattoos are something close to one’s heart and people should respect that,” he said. “Not too many Indians know about goddess Yellamma, a local deity, but he is accepting our deity and that’s a big thing.”
However, Girish, founder, Brahma Tattoo Studio, believes the artist who tattooed Yellamma should have cautioned the Gordon.
During his 14-year stint as a tattoo artist, he has come upon many beliefs and conventions. “Having religious or spiritual symbols below the navel is believed to attract negative energy,” he said. “These are the mythological beliefs I personally follow.”
Girish speculates the artist ignored the implications of tattooing an Indian deity on the Australian’s leg. “He has said he got his tattoo in Australia. A Sri Lankan woman had a tattoo of Buddha on her lower back last year. It was big news, and artists worldwide would know. In the Middle East, if you have a tattoo of any Islamic symbol, they cut off the body part,” he said. (With inputs from Manjusha Naik)