Those ink strokes contain a lifetime.
With a passion for the art of tattooing and decades of dedication, artist Trung Tadashi is still overjoyed after receiving a record for his book "The Enchantment of Tattooing," which he wrote himself.
The book was awarded the title of "The first book in Vietnam introducing the art of East Asian tattooing," in both English and Vietnamese.
Artist Trung Tadashi receives a Vietnamese record for his book "The Enchantment of Tattoo Art" - the first book in Vietnam introducing East Asian tattoo art in a bilingual English-Vietnamese format (Photo: Nguyen Vy).
For Trung Tadashi, tattoos are not just a fleeting hobby of young people, or something for gangsters to show off to each other. Since ancient times, tattoos have been used by fishermen to disguise themselves as aquatic creatures for fishing, and by soldiers to tattoo the king's symbols to mark the royal army.
During the time when our country was called Van Lang, the fishermen were often harassed by Giao Long (a mythical dragon). King Hung believed that we are a people of the mountains, not a dragon species living in the water. If we could disguise ourselves as aquatic dragons, resembling the descendants of the Dragon King, then Giao Long would no longer cause us trouble.
The king ordered the people to tattoo their bodies, disguising themselves to resemble dragons to facilitate fishing. Continuing the tradition of the ancient Vietnamese people, the practice of tattooing continued to flourish during the Ly and Tran dynasties.
Particularly during the Tran Dynasty, from the king and officials to the common people, everyone liked to get tattoos. This custom demonstrated the contemporary people's fondness for the art of tattooing, viewing it as a beautiful part of Vietnamese national culture.
Having understood that meaning, Trung developed a passion for this art form from a young age, a passion he hadn't yet fully embraced. However, at that time, there weren't many resources or materials available, so Trung had to keep his passion simmering in his heart.
For Trung, everything in life is a source of creative inspiration (Photo: Nguyen Vy).
Originally a sketch artist, he possessed a natural talent for drawing from a young age, developing a passion for sketching and practicing it on his own since childhood. He also began teaching himself the art of tattooing in 2009.
"At that time, tattooing was still something strange to many people, including my family. My whole family strongly opposed it when they found out I wanted to pursue this career. But I used time to prove that as long as the work didn't harm anyone, I believed I could see it through to the end," Trung said.
For Trung, the more difficult and detailed the tattoo, the more he enjoys it. For example, images of dragons and phoenixes – important symbols in East Asian culture.
The more detailed and complex the tattoo, the more satisfied Trung feels (Photo: Provided by the artist).
Aiming for artistic tattooing means investing more in the drawing technique. Unlike common tattooing techniques, Trung uses a freehand drawing technique directly on the skin, aiming to feel the elasticity of the drawing and fully embrace the muscle contours of the body.
"To pursue the art of tattooing, the artist must know how to combine details in a logical and graceful way. Above all, the initial sketch must be exquisite, expressing the bravery and nobility of the dragon and phoenix. I once spent more than 7 hours designing a tattoo on A4 paper, and that's perfectly normal when you put your heart and soul into it," Trung confided.
Countless achievements
With immense passion, Trung delved deeper into the art of tattooing. Opportunities gradually arose, and Trung became increasingly well-known in the tattooing industry, achieving success in numerous competitions, both domestically and internationally.
Since 2013, Trung Tadashi has begun to achieve his first successes in his career. From then on, Trung became increasingly famous, winning countless awards and being invited to be a judge at competitions and exhibitions both domestically and internationally. Notably, Trung served as a judge for five consecutive seasons of the Vietnam Tattoo Convention.
With countless awards and invitations to be a judge for major competitions, Trung is even more motivated to dedicate himself to this art form (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).
Looking back on his journey pursuing his passion, Trung has stumbled a few times and almost given up, but he has bravely overcome those challenges. For Trung, his greatest wish is to elevate tattooing to an art form that is recognized and appreciated by the public.
Recounting his career journey, Trung remembers most vividly several clients with unique stories. One such instance involved a recently divorced man with two children, unable to raise either of them due to a legal dispute. The man requested that Trung tattoo a large bear holding two smaller bears below it.
For every tattoo he gets done, Trung puts all his heart and soul into it (Photo: Provided by the artist).
"Listening to the client's story, I was moved and decided to tattoo him for free. The father hugged me and sobbed. Small moments like these motivate me even more, making me increasingly believe that every tattoo carries its own story and message. Tattoos aren't bad; it's just a matter of whether we make them beautiful or not," shared tattoo artist Trung Tadashi.
According to artist Trung Tadashi, tattoo artists and tattoo technicians do the same job, but the soul of the artwork is always different.
"Therefore, don't just think that practice makes perfect. Cultivate your soul to become an artist; the soul influences the eyes, the eyes influence the hands, the hands create the artwork, and that artwork will carry the soul of the creator, expressing the artist's unique style," Trung Tadashi said.
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