Piercing blue eyes stare out from a face spattered with blood. Thick blue lines crawl up his neck and across the side of his shaved head. He’s a warrior and his life is battle. The Norsemen or vikingar of Scandinavia have long fascinated – and terrified – those that came into contact with them. But…
He sits there, still, his face lined with age and ink. Arcing from the bridge of his nose to the hairline all around his forehead, like sunbeams, are the faded marks of “ta moko”. This ancient form of tattooing fascinates all who come into contact with it, from the very first European explorers to modern-day…
Here in the West, it’s implied that tattoos are meant to be seen – and most are. They’re images, works of art, by their very nature visual. We photograph them, share them on social media, and scroll through galleries of flash/hundreds of pics, but what about the unseen? Those ones that are hidden away at…
There’s something about a tattoo with meaning: the metaphorical compass that reminds you to follow your own path or the anchor representing your desire to be steady on your course, despite the waves. Criminal offenders in Russian prisons have meanings to their tattoos, too, but they’re far less inspirational. And they’re earned. There are rules…
