Following Taiki Masuda's arrest in April 2015, charged with violating the medical Practitioner's Act -- which prohibits any medical practices without a license -- for tattooing in Japan, the journalists and producers Hyoe Yamamoto and Deborah Barillas have been following his stroy. They're still shooting for their upcoming documentary "Criminal Engravement" which will record his fight for his rights to be afree tattooer in the birhtplace of Irezumi, the traditional Japanese tattoo.
What were your motivations when you started the film?
What attracted us in the beginning was the absurdity of the charges and situation. In our modern world, who would think that tattooing requires medical training and has to be done by a certified doctor? It sounded like a typically Japanese situation where true motivations and agendas are hidden under the pretence of legal technicality. And we were inspired that someone, a Japanese youth, is actually fighting against this bogus charge and taking a stand. What's really going on is a complex mixture of lack of tolerance and diversity, political power mongering, and the younger generation challenging the old establishment. So what we want to show is that it goes far beyond the issues surrounding tattoo and tattoo artists.
What did you know about the Japanese tattoo scene and what did you discover?
We didn't know a whole lot before we get into the production. First thing we discovered is the rich history and tradition of Japanese tattoo as well as the historical relationship between the state and tattoo in general. One of the first things people imagine when they hear tattoo is obviously yakuza, but that's just a tip of the iceberg.
Did you try to sell the film to Japanese media?
Denne historien er fra Issue 281-utgaven av Skin Deep.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ?  Logg pÄ
Denne historien er fra Issue 281-utgaven av Skin Deep.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg pÄ
Ask Here Part Two
With the release of Tattooing Ask Hereâa collection of original and traditional flash, interview, stories and photographs detailing the tattoo history of Felix Leuâwe took the spectacularly well-timed opportunity to speak to Loretta Leu about the book and her life with Felix. The following concludes our time well spentâŠ
The SERPENTS of BIENVILLE
SEAN HERMANâS TRANSFORMATIVE TATTOO
SAVED BY INK
Carlos âLozâ Oliveros has never had any shortage of passion or drive. Inspired by his father, a pro fighter and DIY tattooer, Oliveros started boxing when he was just six years old, then picked up tattooing at 16. All the while surrounded by the realities of Miamiâs Mexican gang culture. Saved by tattooing, Oliveros chose to follow a different path than most of his peers. A path heâs now sharing on a VH1 docu-series called Cartel Crew
THE PRODUCER
Itâs no surprise at all to run into a guy like Russ Russell. Pretty much every tattoo artist I talk with cites music as a massive influence on their work and lives in general. But while, for most of them, music is a passionâan inspiration, even, for their day job at the tattoo shopâfor Russ itâs almost the other way around. Music is his day job, Russ having worked as both a producer and musician for many years, with tattooing coming later on down the line
Why Is That First Tattoo Encounter So Terrifying?
There is something about getting that very first tattoo that will always make you feel a little bit sick when you walk through the door
The Serpents Of Bienville - Sean Herman's Transformative Tattoo
âThere is probably nothing more menacing or dangerous than an individual who is devoid of compassion or empathy. When this individual is permitted by community apathy and bias to successfully cloak himself in the attire of one who claims allegiance to his or her Creator, it becomes the moral imperative of those who lay witness to the peril to step up before it is too late. Until such a time when domestic violence and sexual assault are eradicated for good, the perpetrators of these deplorable acts will continue to cause unspeakable harm as Evilâs welcomed ambassadors and Tyrannyâs strongest ally.â
The Eternal River
Through impact-laden encounters between ornamental and figural imagery, tattooist Aron Dubois has developed a self-sourced visual language that openly explores symbology, spirituality and surrealism in an effort to âdrink from the eternal riverâ and return to what the Colorado-native defines as âthe sourceâ. Drawing much of his inspiration from esoteric literature, mythic archetypes and the natural world, Dubois has spent his decadelong relationship with the craft âdigging for the grail of tattooingâ. Here, Dubois demystifies his âoptimistic escape attemptâ from the addictive dangers of digital tools, and the answers he finds in nature when allowing the walls that stand between himself and the world to dissolve
Palm Reader
For centuries we have looked to our palms as a valuable source of information, a complex blueprint of oneâs identity, both physical and spiritual. The latter has seen the palm as a bodily map for instigating premonitions, with its many criss-crossing lines foretelling either a joyful life or a foredooming resolution
Japanese Whispers
He is one of the most gifted Japanese tattooers of his generation. From the region of Niigata in the North-East of Japan, he's spreading the beauty of Japanese tattoo culture. All tattoo lovers praise his complex and very detailed compositions which adorn the bodies of some very lucky collectors, but after 20 years, Tomo is ready to move onâŠ
Rule Breaker
Esther Garcia plays by her own rules â she always has and always will. Even with two decades of experience, the Chicago-based artist still finds ways to push herself and innovate. Whether itâs juxtaposing two unexpected styles (she fuses blackout work with botanical imagery inspired by Dutch Masters beautifully) or offering a unique tattoo curation service in which she doesnât actually tattoo, Garcia isnât afraid to take risks. What else is up her sleeve? We tracked her down to find out.
