Inked

Small, subtle and beautiful make for a new trend in tattoos discovers DEBASRITA CHAKRABORTY

Go minimal — that seems to be the trend not just in clothes, jewellery and make up but increasingly even in tattoos. Rather than using the body as an expansive canvas, most tattoo enthusiasts seem to believe in the motto, small is beautiful.

While bikers, who initially made the trend popular amongst urban youth, preferred huge tattoos in vibrant colours, tattoos are going smaller, almost equivalent of miniatures.

Vikas Malani, tattoo artist, Body Canvas Tattoos, who operates out of the tony Hauz Khas Village, Delhi says, “Small tattoos are popular across different age groups and with both genders. A small or minimalistic tattoo is ideal especially for a first timer who has no idea about tattooing. Another reason is that many people prefer not to display their tattoos but want to keep it personal.” Of course there is the third category — people who are commitment phobic  and do not want to have anything that is big which would take a lot of time (and pain) to erase. “The fear of pain is another factor that influences the size of the tattoo,” he says.

Bird silhouettes, arrows, Nordic symbols, butterflies, flowers, date of birth, Harry Potter symbols are some of the tattoos that are extremely popular. But one that stands apart is the semicolon tattoo.  Malani says “The semicolon tattoo represents depression. It is in solidarity with people who have gone through depression, had suicidal tendencies and have overcome it.” Similarly a purple knot is a souvenir or a mark of respect for cancer patients.  People who have overcome depression, get the semicolon tattoo or their friends get it done because they want to show their respect and affection for the person who has gone through a tough time.

Women’s tattoos are usually small, sleek, floral and symbolic — which look elegant.

Script tattoos where letters of a language with a delicate cursive take finds many takers as do geometric shaped tattoos which are often placed to complement the body's contours and boast a timeless appeal.

Dainty skin art has been hot for sometime now and people have narrowed down on specifc places to put the small designs. Arms, the side of the ribs, the back of the neck, and behind the ear — these are beautiful, elegant spots. The hottest spot for those who want flexible visibility, is the side of hip. Those who like hide-and-seek prefer the insides of the arm.

Emotions getting inked is on the trending list these days and ‘permanent’ is the new black especially in miniature or teeny-tiny forms. Tattoos are a unique way to portray artistry, emotions, and sentiments.

Curiosity about tattoos is also increasing the demand for miniature tattoos especially among the youth. Kolkata-based tattoo artist Anirban Roy Choudhury, Forever Poetry, says, “Miniature tattoos are different from small/basic tattoos. People get the tattoos for various reasons, but one thing common is that they feel it is beautiful. Usually the first tattoo is small as people are curious about the process, anxious about the pain and speculative of the permanence.”

Lucky charms, zodiac signs and nature also feature in the miniature tattoos. Shiluti Longkumer,  student, Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan and a tattoo artist says, “Usually client wants to get Roman numbers, symbols from different cultures, flowers, mountains or just a circle, which reminds them of infinite nature of this universe tattooed. But one thing is for sure, everyone’s story is personal and unique.  The tattoos are an indication of their personalities.”

Kritika Sharma (23), a journalism and mass communication student, Calcutta University, says, “I got small tattoos  because those particular designs look  good in a smaller size and also because it is less painful. I have an anchor symbol and dollar sign inked these two respresent strength and money respectively. I feel both strength and money are important for my life. I wanted to get something meaningful.”

Dhanushree Pandya (20), student of Kamla Nehru College, New Delhi says “I preferred getting a small tattoo because it was my first tattoo. I got it done two-three years back and it means a lot to me. The tattoo on my arm is in Arabic and it means warrior.”

For some, memories and love for an object determines the tattoo design. Sanchari Tarafdar (22), a post-graduate student, West Bengal says “I love Harry potter thus I ended up getting the symbol of always and I feel it looks good in a small size. Also I dedicated this tattoo to my loved one.” Cost is another factor for getting miniature tattoos especially for students as Subhasish Majumder (22), a post-graduate student, West Bengal says, “I wanted to get inked and a small tattoo didn’t cost much.”

Minimal tattoos have become a part of accessories and are usually done only with black ink. People are opting for tiny tattoos, which tells a story of their life which they can carry it until the end.

published on http://www.dailypioneer.com/vivacity/bond-of-ink.html