Text : Laure Siegel / Photographies : P-mod / Tom Vater
Bhaktapur, historic city in Kathmandu valley, deux dys before the earthquake
Many tattooists and travelers on the Asian roads were looking forward to participate in the 5th International Tattoo Convention in Kathmandu, Nepal, a special event in the global tattoo scene calendar. But the giant earthquake that shook the country around lunch time on Saturday, April 25th ended the convention prematurely.
More than 8700 people lost their lives, half a million homes were destroyed, entire villages have disappeared, more than a quarter of the country’s population, some 8 million people were directly affected by the catastrophe. The already desperate situation was further aggravated by countless aftershocks and a second strong quake on May 12th.
Some of the participating artists chose to remain in Nepal to lend a hand with relief projects or helped raise funds for Nepalese affected by the quake – projects that readers of Skin Deep can support.
The 5th International Nepal Tattoo Convention : Never say never again
The ballroom of the Yak and Yeti hotel saw its first visitors in 1953, the year the mythical Himalayan kingdom first opened its temples and palaces to the world. Two generations later, the luxury caravansary in the heart of the Nepalese capital is hosting the fifth International Nepal Tattoo Convention, only to be severely shaken by the earthquake. But in spite of the catastrophe, the convention’s organizers are not giving up.
On Friday morning, April 24th, Swiss tattooist Johann Morel (Steel Work Shop) sat waiting for his first customers, his flashes on the table in front of him, “I am really looking forward to doing work here because I will donate all the money I make to Saathi, an association which helps women and children in Kathmandu. I don’t need the money; right after the convention I have a guest spot in Hong Kong and back home in Switzerland I have a twelve month waiting list. I charge 20 GBP a tattoo and I hope that I can raise at least 350 GBP. I’ve never felt so welcome at a tattoo convention and Mohan Gurung’s team, the organizers, is amazing.”
For most participating artists, Nepal is ‘different’. Many of the attending tattooists live on the road and they don’t come for business – Nepal is a poor country and Nepalese can’t afford international tattoo rates – but for the experience. In the last few years, Kathmandu has become the ‘cool’ convention: You can hippie around in bare feet on the hotel’s terrace with artists and punters who have managed to cross the highest mountain range in the world to get here.
Serjiu Arnautu, young roumanian tattooist, just openened a tattoo shop in Dijon (France). He was at the Kathmandu tattoo convention with his friend Tessa Marx (Boubou Daikini), who’s doing traditionnal handpoking.
The event is popular with a diverse crowd – tourists, trekkers, adherents of the Goa trance scene and UN diplomats as well as local families and groups of young Nepalese – because of its effervescent ambience; it’s no longer the domain of shady Kathmandu gangsters and hard men. Nepalese society has become more open to global counter culture in recent years. There’s room for self expression in early 21st century Nepal.
While children in ethnic costumes handed out flower petals to visitors and traditional dancers graced the convention’s stage, a crowd of curious onlookers gathered around the stall of Iestyn Flye (Divine Canvas) as the British artist who specializes in scarification etched a design onto the chest of a young Nepalese who sat through the ordeal with gritted teeth.
Eric Jason D Souza (Iron Buzz Tattoos) won the first price of the first day’s contest for a portrait of a women inked on his partner’s forearm.
Aishin par Eric Jason Dsouza, Iron buzz-tattoos (India) Best of small
The young couple who traveled from Mumbai for the third year running was ecstatic. “It’s great to be recognized here because tattooing in India still struggles with quality issues. For the past two or three years, there’s been a huge tattoo boom in India and there are some 15.000 shops but only about 150 professional artists. We work hard on a project with the local government to make tattooing a more professional career choice.”
MaxWell
Arne inked by Dasha, on the road
Quentin Inglis getting a Sak Yant by Triangle Ink, Thaïland
Mia inked by Tattoo Junction, Kathmandu
Laura inked by Miraj, KTM Tattoo, Kathmandu
Black Ink power, japan
Neil inked by Glen Cozen, UK
Jesse inked by Daan Van Dobbelsteen – Dice Tattoo, NL
Arm in progress by MaxWell
Gabriel inked by Malika – tatouage Royale, Montréal, QC
Guy le Tatooer, few minutes before the earthquake…
On Saturday morning, April 25th, French artist Guy le Tatooer, who has spent his working life on the road, was slowly warming up to the convention scene. “I started attending these events for the first time this year – I will be in Borneo, in London and in Florence in the coming months. Here in Nepal, it’s mostly the local musicians who want tattoos. They are very open and want to have fun as in any society where the voice of the youth has been muzzled for too long. If the work is well done, the Nepalese, a highly artistic people, appreciate it.”
As Guy finished his sentence, the lights in the ballroom went off, a second later everything started to shake violently. Artists, punters and hotel staff stampeded from the room or tried to find shelter under door frames as stalls collapsed. The quake rattled on for 80 seconds. By the time the earth had stopped shaking, the entire convention found itself in the hotel car park watching the cracks in the Yak and Yeti’s façade, deep in shock but happy to be alive. Ajarn Man, a Thai sak yant tattoo master handed out Buddhist clay amulets for good luck.
The event after the earthquake
The days following the quake were harsh – countless aftershocks, tense streets, a dazed population, and periodic phone and Internet shut downs created incredible despair and sadness in the Nepalese capital. Some fifteen tattoo artists chose to stay in the city to try and help with relief operations and to support their local friends. Several artists traveled to Pashupatinath, the sacred Hindu temple complex on the shores of the Bagmati River to tattoo Nepalese who were seeking protection, against a backdrop of long rows of funeral pyres where families brought loved ones they had lost in the quake.
Paulo et Ari, ttattoo artists, welcome nepaleses looking for a protextion tattoo on a rock front of the Bagmati river, carring death’s ashes de Kathmandu along.
Other artists raised funds to buy emergency supplies or to contribute to projects set up to construct toilets and temporary shelters in villages around the Kathmandu Valley. In New York, London, Copenhagen, Bangkok, Southampton, Les Vans, Rottweil and other cities around the world, local tattooists began to organize events to help finance reconstruction efforts.
French tattooists Max Well and Angie stayed on for two weeks before moving on to work at Six Fathoms Deep in Bangkok, Thailand. [IMAGE29] “We first came to Nepal for last year’s convention and it really changed our lives. The event has a real magic, it feels like one great family. We will go back soon, we have to finish the tattoos we started there. In the meantime we try to help from a distance by sending money. And if the convention returns next year we will be there.”
Mohan Gurung and Bijay Shrestha, the convention’s organizers, remain determined. “We are sure we will host the convention again next year. We know we will, with all the overwhelming support we got from the tattoo community, for us and for Nepal. We must continue this family tradition forever.”
How to help Nepal?
If you know any Nepalese, you can send them money directly by Western Union. Sinon, privilégiez un collectif de bénévoles qui agit directement sur le terrain ou participez à une action artistique :
#We Help Nepal
> #We Help Nepal : Un réseau sans hiérarchie et sans salaires, fondé par des Népalais et étrangers vivant ou ayant vécu au Népal. Ils se chargent de coordonner les initiatives locales en redistribuant les fonds récoltés via leur plateforme. http://www.wehelpnepal.org/
> Rise for Nepal : Une organisation créée par 200 jeunes volontaires népalais pour reconstruire leurs pays eux-mêmes, sur le terrain. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rise-For-Nepal/1440722356239673
> Miranda Morton Yap, une écrivaine américaine qui vit à Katmandou et coordonne la levée de fonds pour Helter Shelter et To Da Loo, qui se concentrent sur la construction d’abris et de toilettes.
http://mirandatravelsblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/subject-rebuilding-nepal.html
Paying homage to Nepal: Tattoo artists, in solidarity with each other
With tattoo artist
> By Steel Work Shop (Switzerland) : No silence for NEPAL Association
https://www.facebook.com/nosilencefornepal/ – http://www.nosilence4nepal.com/
One Tattoo for Nepal : https://www.facebook.com/onetattofornepal
Metal for Nepal Tour : https://www.facebook.com/metal4nepal
> By Jad’s Tattoo (Kathmandu) : Ktm-20152504
https://www.facebook.com/Ktm20152504 – http://www.gofundme.com/tdq7q8z4
> By Funky Buddha Tattoo (Kathmandu) : Funky Buddha Hands
http://www.facebook.com/FunkyBuddhaHands – http://www.leetchi.com/c/solidarite-de-nepal-3409692
> By Phil & Joanna Antahkarana (Copenhagen) : Tattoo Aid for Nepal, which helps fund Direct Relief, an NGO focusing on medical emergencies.
http://theantahkarana.tattoo/news.html
http://www.directrelief.org/
http://theantahkarana.tattoo/news.html