Over time, modernism has majorly changed the essence of tattooing; for some of us it’s purely aesthetic, for others it’s a personal project, a mark of a more contemporary urban identity perhaps opposed to a cultural one. But if you dig deeper into the tradition, you’ll find that in most parts of the world, tattooing is a practice that holds myriad forms of significance depending on where you lived and what era you lived in.
In India too, the art of tattooing has existed for hundreds of years, and thousands of people - almost exclusively tribal people as far as history goes - have had ink permanently mark their skin for various reasons. Some were markers of caste, others used it as a means to beautify or ‘disfigure’ women (for their own ‘safety’ as well as to visualise different stages of womanhood). Tattoos were used as signs of devotion and even protest, were worn as a proud badge of honour by warriors. Some were protectors in the afterlife and there are those few who believed them to cure certain physical ailments.
While a lot has changed, there are things that haven’t, it’s almost a strange cycle that we’ve gone through. As we adopted British ideals, we rejected our tattooing practices in the mainstream and grew to see them as signs of those of ‘alternative lifestyles’. Over the years the concept of tattoos has become a polarising one, with some believing in it as an art form and others cringing in horror at the thought of the permanent etching of human skin. Whichever side of the argument you seem to find yourself on, one thing that many of us have faced, or at least heard of, is the general discontentment that the older generation has when it comes to women and tattoos, and even women in the tattoo industry.
For 21-year-old Heleena Mistry, tattoos are a part of her Indian identity as a young Gujarati diaspora kid born and raised in Leicester, UK. She was 18 years old when she decided to get into the tattoo industry – “My mum gave me her blessing and I just went for it”. Seeing a lack of South Asian female tattoo artists, she wanted to fill that gap in the market.
Indian families are nothing if judgemental (at least the extended, distant relatives who feel the need to offer mostly unhelpful and unasked ‘advice’) when it comes to the young ones’ chosen career paths and life choices. From raised eyebrows and pursed lips to those often condescending clicks of the tongue. Questions like “Oh beta, why don’t you study law?”, “You had a nice face why would you ruin it with a piercing?” and “What will your in-laws think?” among other helpful remarks are things most South Asians would relate to when it comes to our nosey aunties and uncles.
“I’m lucky enough to have lenient parents, for a while they didn’t understand why I wanted to be a tattoo artist, and they gently tried to encourage me to get a regular 9-5 job, this was during periods where I was looking for tattoo studios to work in. My family as a whole usually kept their opinions to themselves but their facial expressions and awkward comments would say it all. That’s all stopped now since I’ve come a long way and own my own studio now,” says Mistry, talking about her journey, the kind of support and reactions she received.
Her first tattoo, she shares, was a little umbrella that she did on her ankle when she was 19. “ I was an apprentice at the time and I had a mentor guiding me. It took me an hour to complete, a qualified artist would’ve been able to do it in ten minutes,” she adds. Mistry’s has grown to have a very distinct style and aesthetic that is easy to identify on someone’s skin. Her designs draw inspiration from Mughal miniatures, Hindu iconography and floral patterns, strong bold lines, stylistically Indian figures and motifs. “I just draw things inspired by the images we had in my home growing up. Most of the figures were drawn with a side profile, their bodies would be slightly out of proportion with high breasts and large eyes. My mum used to draw little Indian village women with pots on their heads, I think it’s all stemmed from my upbringing and the imagery I was exposed to growing up. When I first wanted to get into tattooing, I used to draw westernised pieces to fit into the industry, but I now know that it’s being true to myself and heritage that has allowed to express myself through my work,” she says.
“I definitely think the younger generation is appreciating traditional South Asian tattoos more openly. Growing up, most of us rejected our cultures to fit in with society, and now there’s a wave of people trying to reconnect with their culture and some people achieve that through getting traditional South Asian tattoos, she adds.
It hasn’t been easy, being a young woman of colour trying to navigate through an industry that has for a long time been a space that was largely dominated by men. Mistry faced her fair share of apprehensions and rejection from countless studios. “I walked into one studio and the artist just looked and me and said ‘no’. I’ve been told to steer away from just tattooing pieces inspired by my culture, not to mention I stick out like a sore thumb. It’s taken me three years to get a position that white males with mediocre drawing skills can get in a matter of months. I felt I had to work 100x harder to earn a place in the industry.”
But it’s not just her family and friends that she has gotten support from, but an entire community of South Asians across the world that have been drawn to her journey and work. Mistry has become someone many brown kids look up to, for pushing back, for powering through and carving a space for herself with pure talent and skill.
She never expected to turn into an inspiration for others just for chasing her own dreams, saying, “All I’ve ever wanted was to be creative and have my dream job. It’s ridiculous that being creative or just not having a ‘normal job’ is so frowned upon in the South Asian community. I’m lucky enough to have gotten somewhere with my dreams, it means so much to me that I can be that example for others to go against the norm and work hard for something you really want! I don’t think it’ll ever sink in that by me chasing my dreams the younger generation have also found a confidence to do the same.”
You can follow and see more of Heleena Mistry’s work on Instagram and buy prints of her designs on her website.
Featured image photographed by Alia Romagnoli via Instagram.
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