tattoos get an image makeover

Youngsters in Chennai wear their
heart on their sleeve, or back, as they
get inked on symbols that hold
meaning
When Rohit Agarwal decided to get
himself a tattoo of dragon on his back, he
was only reinforcing his faith in Buddhism
and his affinity for the astrological symbol
of dragon.
Increasingly, youngsters in the city are
dissing traditional, abstract, and popular
tattoo symbols in favour of ink
impressions and etchings that define their
world view and philosophy.
"If something means a lot to you, then
tattooing is the best way to express it
and reaffirm your faith in it, " says Rohit,
who's now looking at getting another
tattoo that will feature half the face of
Buddha juxtaposed with half a dragon's
face. "It will stand for the two sides to
me — peaceful but aggressive at certain
other times."
Sanaya Zehra, a model, seconds Rohit's
opinion, and adds that tattooing
communicates ideas that fail to be
conveyed through words. "I have got a lip
and a wording 'Babe' next to it inked on
my lower hip. Being in the field of
glamour, I always like to carry around
myself that way," she says.
There are many others who like to
customize their tattoo designs. Take, for
example, Vernon Fernando, a sailor, who's
got an anchor and a mermaid tattooed on
his hand. "I am a sailor, and I relate to
these patterns," says Vernon.
City-based tattoo artist Naveen Kumar
agrees that other than bespoke tattoos,
people these days like to opt for tattoo
designs they can relate to, like fish,
dragon, angel, butterflies. Among the
popular trends, exotic Maori motifs have
been trending on the tattoo circuit as
well. "Maori is a combination of
indigenous Maori culture and European
traditions and practices, and youngsters in
Chennai seem to be quite taken in with
it," says Naveen.
Tattoos, it seems, then, has moved from
being a funky fashion statement to
becoming a lot more about who you are.
Dr Raj, whose passion for tattooing saw
him bid goodbye to dentistry, makes it a
point to tell his client the significance of
each design before he inks it on them.
"Each design carries a meaning with it.
For example, a fish or a phoenix signifies
power, whereas an angel shows peace.
They should be sure they want a certain
design, because though you can remove
tattoos through laser, it is an expensive
proposition," warns Raj.
Tattoo spotting on celebs!
Mamta Mohandas - Ganesha, treble and
bass clef symbols
Shruti Haasan - Rose and her name in
Tamil
Khushbu - Daughter's names (Avantika
and Ananditha) and Alphabet S with a
heart symbol
Vikram - Arm band
Design and average price
1. Maori - `12,500/-
2. Tribals - `2,000/-
3. Fish - `7000/-
4. Butterfly - `2000/-
5. Phoenix - `2500/-
6. Angels - `3000/-