Virtually each tradition the world over has a historical past of tattooing, as a medium of self – expression and artwork type. It’s slowly gaining recognition in Shillong and some tattoo artists are main the best way.
Meet Naisha Richmond Tariang, Meghalaya’s first girl tattoo artist. Right here is the complete interview –
SS: Inform us one thing about your self
Naisha: I used to be born and introduced up in Shillong. Accomplished my training in Shillong. I studied in Loreto Convent College and St. Edmund’s Faculty. I majored in English Literature.
I used to be at all times into artwork – sketching and portray. Ultimately began tattooing once I met a tattoo artist in Shillong. He approached me after seeing my work on social media and needed to know if I might be concerned about apprenticing. I simply completed my Bachelors at the moment and wasn’t actually doing a lot. Mentioned ‘okay’, nothing unsuitable with studying one thing new. In order that’s the way it began in 2016.
Whereas the coaching was on, I out of the blue realised that I used to be truly actually concerned about doing this. I loved this and determined to pursue it professionally. The apprenticeship was for a couple of months after which I moved to Kolkata to work with Calcutta Ink. Was there for nearly 2 years. Moved again dwelling 2 years in the past. I began my very own studio right here. I additionally began my artwork web page across the identical time and branched out to freelancing.
SS: Below whom did you do your apprenticeship?
Naisha: PhibanNongkynrih
SS: Did you ever consider tattooing as a occupation earlier than the apprenticeship?
Naisha:I actually by no means considered tattooing as a profession. My cousin brother began it at the moment. I watched him work however by no means imagined myself doing it. It was whereas coaching underneath Phiban that I realised I’m into it.
SS: Did you may have another profession alternative after your commencement?
Naisha: I didn’t have one. For some time, I believed I might do one other Bachelors in Superb Arts. Attributable to well being causes, that didn’t work out at the moment. I discovered this and fell in love with it.
SS: How has your journey been as Meghalaya’s first girl tattoo artist?
Naisha: It was fairly overwhelming initially. My purpose is to assist and encourage girls to step up and observe an unconventional path. That can be an excellent factor from my facet. I hope they’ll come out of their consolation zones and observe their ardour.
SS: Do you assume that stereotypes nonetheless exist the place tattooing as a occupation is worried?
Naisha: Sure. I feel there positively was. Contemplating that Shillong remains to be conservative, it wasn’t really easy to inform those that I selected it as my profession. Their first response is that it’s probably not a profession alternative and that I ought to take into account one thing else… a authorities job or a trainer. For some time, it was fairly tough for me. My household supported me and that gave me confidence to take heed to my coronary heart. Now, it doesn’t matter what folks assume. However pre-conceived notions nonetheless exist.
SS: 2020 has been fairly the 12 months. How has it been for you?
Naisha: It has given me extra time to deal with my work and different artwork works. For some time, I couldn’t work like I usually do. Security is necessary on the finish of the day. On the subject of tattooing, it’s been fairly sluggish. Thus far, 2020 has been fascinating. I’ve began tattooing now and we take a shopper a day with the mandatory precautions.
SS: What’s your course of like?
Naisha: A few of my shoppers have already got an concept of what tattoo designs they need. They provide you with their very own ideas that are distinctive and fascinating. I attempt to make it collaborative the place I ask my shoppers to present their inputs.
SS: While you determined to pursue tattooing as a occupation, how did your loved ones take it?
Naisha: After I determined to study this artwork type, I used to be sure my household would have an issue with it. Contemplating that tattooing isn’t very typical when it comes to a profession alternative, and remains to be thought of a taboo. To my shock, they’ve been very supportive proper from the start. They’ve seen my curiosity in artwork. I suppose they understood why I might be concerned about tattooing.
SS: How has your identification as a Khasi girl formed your creative sensibility?
Naisha: The Khasis, in contrast to most cultures, don’t actually have a lot of its personal model of artwork, other than textile, music and mythological tales. Additionally, we don’t have a historical past of tattoo artwork.
As a Khasi artist, I’m making an attempt to include a variety of these parts into my work and tattoo designs. Fairly quite a lot of different artists are additionally making an attempt to do the identical. Hopefully, some day we may even have visible artwork that’s vital to our folks.
Working in Kolkata, with artists from throughout, they every had a method of artwork that represented their very own tradition, comparable to prints and patterns, and these references have been simply out there to them as these have been documented. When shoppers would ask me to design one thing that represented my tradition, I needed to create my very own patterns from the literature we’ve got. That stated, visible model remains to be very scarce.
SS: What conjures up you as an artist, particularly within the context of being from North-East India? Do you assume the challenges listed here are distinctive for aspiring tattoo artists?
Naisha: North-East India has a historical past of tattooing. It has been round for hundreds of years and you’ll discover them in Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The Artwork of tattooing is discovered all around the nation and it has additionally been practiced for hundreds of years. Nevertheless, in Meghalaya, we don’t have any historical past of tattoos. It positively is a problem for aspiring artists to attempt to create one thing that’s our personal. On the identical time, it is usually a possibility for us to have the ability to create that real model.
SS: How was your expertise with Calcutta Ink? Are you able to inform us one thing about your coaching?
Naisha: Calcutta Ink gave me the publicity I wanted to develop as an artist. I met a variety of artists from throughout and every had one thing completely different to show the opposite.
Working in a metropolis like Kolkata, and the studio being one of many oldest studios there, there was a variety of clientele. This taught me to have the ability to deal with the strain of getting to deal with fairly quite a lot of shoppers per day.
SS: What would you say to individuals who need to get tattoos however are afraid?
Naisha: Its at all times one thing wonderful when somebody chooses to face their fears. More often than not, in relation to the worry of getting a tattoo, it’s the worry of the ache. In my view, the ache one imagines and the precise ache is extremely exaggerated. It is rather a lot bearable particularly if it’s a small tattoo. To beat this worry, I might counsel making an attempt a small tattoo at first, one that might barely take a couple of minutes simply to grasp the ache after which perhaps proceed to larger items.
SS: What’s your message to folks of North East India, and particularly girls who need to pursue tattooing as a profession?
Naisha: My message to girls or anybody who needs to pursue a profession in tattooing is that whether it is one thing that you simply actually need, be ready for some backlash from a couple of people. However don’t hand over in your desires. Work arduous and preserve working towards.
SS: The place do you see your self in say 5 years? Do you may have plans to start out your individual studios in different components of the nation and world?
Naisha: At the moment, I’ve a personal studio however I do hope to sometime open studios in different places as effectively. Journey and work in other places.
*******
