HYDERABAD: Sameer Patange was interested in various art forms since childhood – drawing, sketching and so on. He soon made up his mind to make a career in a field that lets him create something – with a paint brush, a pencil or at least a tattoo gun!
“As a college student, I joined a local tattoo artiste in Mumbai. He was impressed with my work and let me assist him for a short while. As years passed, he asked me to take over his parlour. He was my teacher and mentor,” recalls the artiste who has been in the profession for 14 years now.
Sameer has inked celebs like Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Kangana Ranaut and Sushmita Sen at his studio Krayonz in Mumbai. The 34-year-old is also keen on training aspiring tattoo artistes.
The same reason he is in the city now. He, along with his team are currently conducting a tattoo workshop at The Park, Somajiguda. The workshop that started on June 19 and will go on till June 29.
The artiste is happy with the response in the city. “Hyderabad has always treated me well and keeps me busy,” he shares with a grin.
Tattoo-making workshops are not common. Ask him why he is investing time in something like that and he responds, “I find the creativity of people who attend the workshop encouraging. This means that more people want to get inked. It shows that the future for tattoo artistry is bright.”
He also feels so strongly that the demand for tattoo artistes has increased because of the number of people breaking their apprehensions and getting inked.
While these workshops give him a certain kind of experience, working with A-list celebrities is a totally different one. “I am very conscious while working with celebs. They are public personalities. That pushes for precision. We don’t want anything to go wrong and get involved with the media for something bad,” he explains.
Among the celebrities he has worked with, “I have enjoyed working with Sushmita the most. Whenever she wanted to get herself inked, she would give me a call and while I was working on her, she would tell me what the whole tattoo is about and how it is significant to her,” he smiles.
The popular artist is also very particular about hygiene. He says,“The whole environment should be sanitised and only disposable needles must be used. Providing a medical certificate before getting a tattoo is preferred as the artist is aware of what he is dealing with. People who want to get inked should also follow proper instructions given to them,” he advises.
On a parting note, what is trending? “3D tattoos are the most popular ones right now,” he says.