MURKADO

What motivated you to get tattooed in the first place?

• V: I definitely remember seeing the rare Asian girl with tattoos on TV when I was younger (and then later on on the internet) and thinking how they were so cool, breaking stereotypes of how you’re supposed to look, act and move. I used to draw a lot more, so at some point I thought I’d like to design my own tattoos.

• L: The obvious part was me thinking that it looked cool - scrolling through Tumblr and seeing all the great tattoos and outfits really planted the seed when it came to wanting to have them.

  I ran through a few interesting tattoo phases in my life and was greatly influenced by the people that I hung out with during and outside of school. I find it hard for any of my new tattoos to feel crazy sentimental, but maybe I’m not experiencing things as deeply right now?

  Currently I just really appreciate the different types of art that can be seen on skin today. The internet has made it so easy to see and get connected with so many talented artists here, and around the world, that it’s just a matter of saving up the money and getting there haha. 

Do you remember what your first tattoo was?

• V: The two snakes on my arm were done by Sebastian Camargo (@sebastian.tattoo) at Chronic Ink in Toronto in 2017. I remember being very excited, biking home late at night with a stiff saran-wrapped arm. 

• L: My first tattoo was a couple of roses on my left arm. Cliche, yes, but at the time I wanted to get them in memory of my grandma. She passed away when I was quite young so I don’t remember a ton of memories with her, but I always heard stories from my family about how much she took care of me, even though I was such a troublesome kid. When I look back at photographs of us, I feel how much care she had for me.

How many tattoos do you currently have? Which one was the most recent?

• V: Just 2. The most recent being the pair of red dragons on my shins done by Sebastien (@subdidi).

• L: I can’t exactly pinpoint, but I believe I have around 12? Most of my tattoos on my left arm started off as separate pieces and were eventually brought together as a sleeve which makes it difficult for me to remember sometimes haha. My most recent one was a dragon done by Sebastien (@subdidi on IG). 

What have been some of the inspirations behind the tattoos that you have? Do you typically have an idea in mind before reaching out to a tattoo artist?

• V: I screenshot a lot of images and somehow they've been similarly flowing creatures/shapes, so it might be just how I love the way they wrap on the body. 

  I typically do have an idea, and at some point have probably photoshopped it onto my body to see how it looks lol. Occasionally I’ll see an amazing artist and bookmark their work for a future idea. 

• L: The girl with the reflection was heavily inspired by “Tomie” from my favourite horror manga artist, Junji Ito. I was and am in awe of his gruff line work and nightmarish storylines. Junji Ito struck the perfect balance of grotesqueness in his monsters in stark contrast to his much more appealing human counterparts. Which just means that I’ll eventually have to get a gruesome looking character on my body to balance it out haha. 

  Typically I’ll have an idea before I reach out to a tattoo artist. Because of my background with graphic design, it’s always easier for me to create content to bring to the artists. I also feel a little more connected to my tattoos when I’m able to design them myself I guess. Now that I think about it, I only have a few pieces that have relied strictly on the tattoo artist. I'm not opposed to it though, definitely something to explore more in the future. 

What type of tattoo styles have you gotten done? What do you like about tattoos in general?

• V: Black and grey, and red ink.

  Besides the fact that it’s cool to see people of different backgrounds break from stereotypes around tattoos, I love hearing about other peoples’ experiences and tattoos are often a timestamp to what someone was thinking or liking at a certain time.

• L: I have Geometric, Japanese, and script. I don't exactly feel married to one particular style and enjoy the many styles tattoos can take.

  I love great detailed line work (who doesn’t) and honestly probably the feeling of the needle sometimes… We all crave it again sooner or later. 

Do any of your tattoos hold any personal meaning to you that you’d like to share?

• V: They’re meaningful in the sense that I feel very privileged to have the artist's work and some of their time. Both sessions were from very different times of my life considering how far apart they were done - like therapy once every five years.

• L: One of my favourites is the geometric one on my right arm. For the longest time I was in love with the studio “dotstolines” but they were pretty unattainable because of where they were located. And it was almost impossible to find a local artist that I could trust to do lines like they did.

  I remember wanting it done around the last year of my design diploma, and wanting to be able to create the design myself. It really felt like a treat being able to learn how to create it in a digital program that I work in almost everyday. I also got a sweet discount from teaching the artist how to work in Adobe for his future clients.

What were some of the most painful spots to get tattooed for you?

• V: The part where my ankle meets the top of my foot. RIP.

• L: The elbow… anyone who's had it done before knows that bone rattling feeling. The vibrations of the machine really shook me. Also anywhere near my joints felt the most uncomfortable. I don’t look forward to feeling that again. 

Has having tattoos had any impact in your personal life?

• V: My family very much dislikes tattoos, so that’s admittedly a part of why I get them so slowly. Again, it’s a conversation about cultural backgrounds and what type of associations tattoos might have. It’s definitely a rough conversation. My dad is also an artist, so I'm sure he has style preferences haha.

• L: I think I’ve had it pretty easy when it comes to impact on my personal life. I got the usual slap on the wrist from the parents, but it has never stopped me from doing it again haha. They both have tattoos as well -  not to the extent that I do, but that probably eased them down a bit. 

Do you have any favourite tattoos?

• V: Still obsessed with the two red dragons, especially peeking out of the top of boots *incredible* 

• L: Definitely the girl with the reflection and the dragon tattoo. For the girl with the reflection, I had Vivian draw it out. I always struggled with drawing people, so it was nice to have someone I’m close to work on it. 

  The dragon tattoo from Sebastien (@subdidi) is my other favourite for a few reasons. First, I won the dragon through an Instagram contest (and I don’t win things). It was also the first time I had a session with someone I could actually have conversations with. I think my previous experiences sometimes felt fake, and when you’re sitting through a session, it’s obviously really important to vibe with your artist. Sebastien oozes with passion when he talks about the things he loves and it really made it a different experience than walking into a shop.

Who are some of the artists that you've gotten tattooed by?

• V: I've only seen two artists, Sebastian and Sebastien (both mentioned above), which is crazy.

• L: Addox Grey (@addoxgrey), Sebastien (@subdidink), Patrick St. Jean (@kaizen_ink).