Talking Body: Tattoo Art as Cultural Rebellion and Reconciliation

By Caitlin Le

Twenty three days.

That’s how long it took for my mother to notice my first tattoo Once the long sleeves grew unbearable and my right arm was free for viewing, the hellscape began.

“That better be henna,” she cried, trying to convince herself of something we both knew was untrue She thought I would know better, really better than to defile my own body with such permanence. While the lotus flower drawing was beautiful, illustrating both my Vietnamese heritage and my birth month of July, it was wrong.

One year, two disappointed parents, and three tattoos later, I’ve come to terms with this belief

That very belief inspires all of my tattoos, in fact, with every piece as a bridge between tradition and rebellion. All of my body art connects back to my Vietnamese heritage, simultaneously indulging in and challenging what it means to be “Asian”.

New York tattooist Seoyeon, 24, knows this struggle well The Korean born, NYC raised artist has grown from 5,000 to 50,000 Instagram followers in the past 5 months, garnering praise for her East Asian inspired style. A lover of “all things pink, anime, cats, fashion, drawing, and hanbok,” Seoyeon might live at the very intersection between cultural rebellion and reconciliation.

@tattoist_yeonnie

How did you get into tattoo art? Why do you love it?

I’ve been drawing my whole life and even have a BFA in animation. I decided it wasn't for me, though, career-wise. I love tattooing because it’s very different from the art I’m used to making. My main hobby in creating semi-realistic digital illustrations with lots of rendering and detail. This takes forever but with tattoos, I mostly work small – only a few inches and with cute, simple subjects. I love the tattoo style I have going on right now with all the sparkles.

Since a lot of those designs revolve around Asian culture, like anime, k-pop, cute and colorful characters, do you feel in touch with your Korean culture there? How so?

My parents forced me to go to Korean school as a kid on Saturdays. I hated it then, because I just wanted to play on the weekends instead of going to more school. But as an adult, I’m really grateful for it since I’m nearly fluent in reading, working, and speaking. I’m obsessed with Korean traditional clothing, accessories, and architecture, so I watch a lot of historical dramas. This led me to learn more about my country’s history. I think that’s very important: to know where you can from, and to know what your predecessors lived through. I enjoy all the modern stuff too, of course, like K-fashion and K-pop!

Unfortunately, I know many East Asian cultures don’t welcome tattoo art with open arms. Most public baths in Japan and Korea don’t admit tattooed customers and just this March, the Korea’s Constitutional Court reaffirmed tattoo art’s illegality. Do you feel the effects of this stigma here in New York? How so?

A lot of my friends are Asian, and their parents are immigrants. I feel like older Asian people still stigmatize tattoos because of their history – tattoos being used as a form of punishment or branding, affiliations with crime, et cetera. I don't think younger people have as much of a problem with tattooing though, even in Asia. Korea reaffirmed illegality of tattoos but the people running the court and the government are ... older folks.

I see. Speaking of older folks, though, how does your family feel about your job?

I like tattooing and it's my job. I made it clear to them I'm not seeking their approval, and they got over any issues they had with it pretty fast. Now they are extremely proud and supportive of me and my work.

I’m glad! My parents weren’t exactly happy about my tattoos, even after I explained their meanings do you get any backlash as an artist for your work, whether from clients or unhappy guardians?

I just have one tattoo and my family is fine with it. After I told them about my work as a tattoo artist, they put in their own research to reeducate themselves on tattoos as a means of self expression, and they don't see it as a negative thing anymore.

I definitely resonate with tattoo art being a form of self-expression. All of my tattoos connect back to my Asian heritage, which is something I didn’t really indulge in until adulthood. My first represents the national flower of Vietnam, the second is a play on my Vietnamese name, and the third depicts symbols from a traditional Lunar New Year game. Do you feel like you get a lot of these? Clients using body art as a way to connect with their culture, I mean.

Sometimes! I think about half the people get tattoos that connect back to their identity, culture, or family. The other half just get designs they like aesthetically, or their favorite characters. It doesn't always have to have meaning!

What’s something you wish more people knew before getting their first tattoo?

I wish people would stop assuming color tattoos automatically fade and disappear after a year or two. That is just not the case. All tattoos fade a bit post healing, as fresh colors are very vibrant. But beyond that initial dulling, it won't deteriorate extremely fast unless it’s on the fingers!

Finally, what’s something you want to say to aspiring Asian tattooists or anybody wanting your tattoos?

If tattooing is what you love, don't let your disapproving family or anyone stop you! It's a very fun and rewarding career. And thank you to everyone for letting me tattoo cute sparkles, flowers, and characters on you!