The first time I met Shubhendu was in the food court of South City mall. I have been on a hunt for a tattoo artist who understood my vision and requirement for four long years (yes, I am very particular about tattoos). After talking at length for ten minutes, I knew in my heart that my quest has come to an end.
It was a start of a long association and he became more than just my tattoo artist. He became a dear friend. This is an attempt to get a peek inside that creative, mind-boggling head of Shubhendu and understand what it takes to become a talented tattoo artist.
How and Why Did You Decide to Become a Tattoo Artist?
I have always tried to portray human emotions since I started drawing.
And that has shown me the way of becoming a tattoo artist.
Tattoo being a permanent piece of art holds a lot of memories and emotions. I have been privileged to meet a lot of clients and discuss their lives and dynamics.
And it has been a great privilege for me to understand their emotional responses that has helped me to become a tattoo artist.
What Kind of Tattoos Do You Like Doing the Most?
I have grown up watching anime and an anime tattoo is something that I can consider what “I” like doing. However, I love illustrating human emotions, making collages of memories, and dreams.
So, my style is mostly new school. I make designs like abstract, collective, and narrative, that can connect to a client’s heart permanently.
What is Your Work Process?
Well, my work process as I have mentioned previously, is finding and making the right design for a tattoo that can connect to the client's desired requirements. Commonly, I talk to the client and try to understand what exactly they are looking for.
Subsequently, I take 2- 3 days to come up with the designs. While making the design I ensure that it connects to the client's vision while keeping true to my trademark signature and style.
While tattooing, I try to keep the client motivated and confident and also keep their health and hygiene into consideration. Their safety is my priority.
Which Tattoo Artists Inspire and/or Have Inspired You the Most?
I don’t think I can count and name all of them. Artists from outside of Kolkata and India have frequently been a source of inspiration in terms of improvement and creativity.
What is/are the Practices that You Wish Did Not Take Place in the Tattooing Industry?
Repeating or copying an existing style or design is something that I wish didn't happen rampantly in the tattoo industry.
The process of copying pre-existing tattoo designs is harming new tattoo artists by preventing them from making new designs and creating an individual style of work.
Also, a tattoo is very personal. It should tell the story of the client, and it should be unique and original. Repeating tattoo designs doesn’t show anything but some skin that could have told its own stories but got lost.
What Have Your Mistakes Taught You?
That’s a great question. Well, I think that for every mistake there is always a coverup. That's a tattoo artist joke if you did not get it.
Jokes apart, mistakes are the key learning point in any profession including tattooing. However, in tattooing, it is the skin is my canvas and the lesser the mistakes the better it is for me as a tattoo artist.
Nevertheless, mistakes do have their own way of teaching me ways of improving the designs and working harder to make the process as smooth as possible.
What was the Happiest Memory of Your Professional Life?
So, the happiest memory of my professional life is that I have a tattoo done by the #hobbit. It was during the Delhi Tattoo Convention 2019 that this happened.
I was a complete newbie in the tattoo industry and during the convention, I got the chance to meet the legends of the tattoo industry, up close and personal.
They were all humble and professional. Getting an original piece designed and done by hobbit, is a memory that will always stay with me and will be a highlight of my tattooing career.
What is Your Take on Plagiarism in the Tattoo Industry?
Tattoo artists do not want to do plagiarized work. We all are here to do something of our own and we are striving to do that. However, sometimes situations are out of our control.
Clients come with something particular in their mind and they do not want to compromise with the existing look that they may have seen somewhere else.
There are also graphic novel and manga tattoos, logos, and symbols that are more or less impossible to keep plagiarism-free. However, I do keep encouraging my clients to go for more original pieces.
Originality is something that's one of the prime aspects of getting a tattoo done. If it stays forever on your skin then, why not get something unique!
Which Part of Your Job Gives You the Most Satisfaction?
A perfectly healed tattoo. A tattoo that has been healed exactly as I have done and expected.
What is the Kind of Tattoos You Wish To Do More?
I would like to work more on Anime tattoos and experiement with the style.
What Kind of Requests (From Clients) Make You Happy and Turn You Off?
When the clients allow me to work with original designs.
When the client starts bargaining after the tattoo is done. As an artist, I find it really disrespectful to ask for a discount once the tattoo is done.
What is One Question You Wish to Be Asked by an Interviewer?
I would very much love to be questioned about art, artists, how tattoo artists and art is evolving, and questions like these.
What is Your Message to Aspiring Tattoo Artists?
A tattoo is a subgenre of art. So, in order to become a tattoo artist, become an artist first, then decide which path to walk on.
If you would like to know more about Shubhendu and the work he does, do follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Feel free to drop an email at shubhenduofficework@gmail.com if you would like more information on his services.