Faces Of The Future
Skin Deep|Issue 310
With the onslaught of social media these ground-breaking moments have become more frequent, occurring on an almost weekly basis—depending on the quality of your feed—yet, moments that break new ground have also become as ephemeral as a refresh button; just yesterday I was spellbound by Jaya Suartika’s innovative placement of an Indonesian batik keris design on (and it would seem also, in) Paul Stillen’s backside.
Faces Of The Future
The distance between the present and future in tattoo appears as though it is receding. Imagining the future today could easily become an antiquated idea tomorrow, and that’s what makes Faces of the Future a unique and bold attempt to document the boundaries of our imagination today. Developed by tattoo artist, Hanumantra, and photographer, Kaja Gwinsca, the concept brings together visions of the future of tattoo artists they respect and admire. I catch up with Hanumantra to discover more about the project.

What prompted the project / why did you create it?

In my early years and pre today’s technology, I spent copious amounts of time traveling, which exposed me to a lot of ‘dead time’. To fill the hours, I would constantly doodle designs using a Bic ballpoint pen in magazines, working up designs that I thought could work as tattoos. The more I did the more interesting this concept of drawing on pictures became, I realised that without the restriction and expectation that comes with actual tattoos I was free to develop my work at will, I was able to have fun where the consequence for error was nil. As a freehand tattooist, this approach allowed me to truly develop an aesthetic to my tattoos that I felt comfortable with.

With this concept in mind I thought it would be fun to see what other creations could come from others in the industry, so I reached out to a few friends to see if they would be interested in a collaboration in freedom of expression to share and inspire others in the industry. What has been truly great for me is this project has given me the chance to work with people I greatly respect and admire, people pushing their work and influencing tattooing in their own way and allowing me the opportunity to share this with the wider public.

What criteria did you select the artists by?

Denne historien er fra Issue 310-utgaven av Skin Deep.

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Denne historien er fra Issue 310-utgaven av Skin Deep.

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FLERE HISTORIER FRA SKIN DEEPSe alt
Ask Here Part Two
Skin Deep

Ask Here Part Two

With the release of Tattooing Ask Here—a collection of original and traditional flash, interview, stories and photographs detailing the tattoo history of Felix Leu—we 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 spent…

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9 mins  |
Issue 311
The SERPENTS of  BIENVILLE
Skin Deep

The SERPENTS of BIENVILLE

SEAN HERMAN’S TRANSFORMATIVE TATTOO

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8 mins  |
Issue 311
SAVED BY INK
Skin Deep

SAVED BY INK

Carlos ‘Loz’ 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 Miami’s Mexican gang culture. Saved by tattooing, Oliveros chose to follow a different path than most of his peers. A path he’s now sharing on a VH1 docu-series called Cartel Crew

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5 mins  |
Issue 311
THE PRODUCER
Skin Deep

THE PRODUCER

It’s 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 passion—an inspiration, even, for their day job at the tattoo shop—for Russ it’s 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

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5 mins  |
Issue 311
Why Is That First Tattoo Encounter So Terrifying?
Skin Deep

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

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3 mins  |
Issue 310
The Serpents Of  Bienville - Sean Herman's Transformative Tattoo
Skin Deep

The Serpents Of Bienville - Sean Herman's Transformative Tattoo

“There 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 Evil’s welcomed ambassadors and Tyranny’s strongest ally.”

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8 mins  |
Issue 310
Skin Deep

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 “drink from the eternal river” and return to what the Colorado-native defines as “the source”. Drawing much of his inspiration from esoteric literature, mythic archetypes and the natural world, Dubois has spent his decadelong relationship with the craft “digging for the grail of tattooing”. Here, Dubois demystifies his “optimistic escape attempt” 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

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9 mins  |
Issue 310
Skin Deep

Palm Reader

For centuries we have looked to our palms as a valuable source of information, a complex blueprint of one’s 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

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10+ mins  |
Issue 310
Japanese Whispers
Skin Deep

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 on…

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4 mins  |
Issue 310
Rule Breaker
Skin Deep

Rule Breaker

Esther Garcia plays by her own rules — 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 it’s 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 doesn’t actually tattoo, Garcia isn’t afraid to take risks. What else is up her sleeve? We tracked her down to find out.

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7 mins  |
Issue 310