BODY OF WORK

In these modern times of all-out selfexpression, there is a seismic shift in perspective regarding tattoos, but this does not mean everyone must lap up body art.

- Wilson Lim

“No ragrets” is probably the most identifiable meme for millennials on getting inked (or else Google “We’re the Millers”) alongside the hundreds of regrettable tattoo images online. If one thinks the above scenarios serve as cautionary tales for a lifelong commitment to permanent body art, the increasing number of inked individuals prove otherwise.

Tattoos have moved beyond the stigma of being worn on the body of gangsters to being a celebrated art form and a medium of self-expression. However, this does not mean judgment from people outside of one’s social circle have stopped. Everybody who has body art would have their own stories to tell, but this begets the question: “Who exactly are these tattoos for?”

This writer has his upper torso entirely inked, and he would place it in the 80:20 ratio, where the 80 percent is a reminder of the life lessons taken, while the remainder admittedly brings up the desirability factor. They are also good conversation starters because there are indeed good stories to tell about them. Is everybody fawning over them? That would be a hard no.