Skip to main content

The Body as Canvas

I am in awe by some of the tattoo work I have seen. Japan is famous for its tattoo work (Irezumi), but ironically, the tattoo has a stigma in Japan. Around 1868 the Japanese government outlawed tattoos, and irezumi came to be associated with criminality. Also, traditionally, having a tattoo signified your membership in the Japanese mafia. Tattoos were legalized in 1945.

Nowadays , just because someone has a tattoo does not mean they belong to the Japanese mafia. At any rate, some fitness clubs do not allow you membership if you have a tattoo. Most public swimming pools will not allow you entrance if you have a tattoo, no matter how small it is. Some public baths and Hot Spring resorts also turn away customers who have a tattoo. If you work at a company in Japan, you must take care to keep your tattoo hidden. I don't have a tattoo but have always been attracted to them.

"The Body as Canvas" is my latest series inspired by tattooing of the body.

Comments

Mrs. Miller said…
Wow! I didn't know the Japanese culture felt this way about tattoos. There are some places in the US that are like that too. We once had a waiter that was having to wear a wrap to keep his covered. There are some schools that don't allow them on teachers or students. Luckily, I don't work at one of those.
Sarah McBride said…
that was very interesting about tattoos in Japan. I always love learning new things like that.
i love the artwork you have done.
tatsuko said…
I have my family name (which happens to be japanese) tattooed on my upper back and I was a little worried about going to the public baths in Japan, but the two I went to didn't kick me out - thankfully!

Your work and photos of your work are lovely :)
Chris Stone said…
Love the picture. And interesting information... I never realized. How do the Japanese view the American tattoo fad? It seems like everyone has one here!
GalleryJuana said…
Tatsuko, glad it worked out for you. My American co-worker will call ahead to make sure the hot spring allows tattoos, but he has several tattoos. That is so cool that your family name is tattoed on your back.

Chris, I think personal opinions vary on the tattoos, but public places tend to be stricter.
Todd Camplin said…
Reminds me of a picasso, only yours is better.
GalleryJuana said…
Todd, thank you!
Anonymous said…
This is beautiful!
This is amazing! Can you translate???
P.S. Original said…
Very interesting and so is your art work!
lebanesa said…
When I first moved to this area of England I was amazed by the numbers of people who had tattoos and piercings. I saw very little of it in London, apart from certain groups. Here it is very common for middle-aged women to have quite intricate tattoos, it is a small town, but has 2 tattoo-parlours. I saw a man yesterday whose whole face was tatooed - like a mask. I found that disconcerting.
Is this a regional thing in Japan as well?
Are you also attracted to piercings?

Popular posts from this blog

bird watching and staying home for the summer

Usually summer means several bicycle-camping trips, but with COVID19 still around, we are staying home. In the meantime, I have been pretty productive with my 100 Self Portraits project. Watching the birds that come to the bird feeders has been my daily dose of joy. fledgling House Finch  Chestnut- backed Chickadee Dark-Eyed Oregon Junco Usually summer means several bicycle-camping trips, but with COVID19 still around, we are staying home. In the meantime, I have been pretty productive with my 100 Self Portraits project. Watching the birds that come to the bird feeders has been my daily dose of joy. View my art blog here: https://www.juanaalmaguer.com I have my art works available here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/galleryjuana

Blue-eyed Siamese Cat flies to Japan

Today was filled with my art and time with Sputnik. She was bathing herself which gave me the chance to catch a photo of her. I actually adopted Sputnik as a kitten in 1998 when I was living in Mexico. She made the long trip with me to Japan on July 25, 2004. It took me about 6 months to plan the logistics of bringing her from Mexico to Japan. Since I had to fly via the U.S. on Mexicana Airlines and Korean Airlines, that meant 4 countries and two airlines would need to approve her transport. There were many details to keep track of for each country and airline. After 6 months of stressful planning, 16 hours of two airline flights and layovers, She made it to Japan safely! Korean Air allowed her to fly with me as my carry-on luggage, which was a relief for me. No worrying about whether she was scared or left at the Los Angeles airport! I didn't give her any tranquilizer to sedate her. Yet, she was quiet the entire flight and went unnoticed by other passengers. I h

Cat Drawing, Sunday Sketches

Sputnik, February 05, 2011, pencil on paper While Sputnik was getting ready to curl up on her bed, I drew this quick sketch of her. To view more sketches, hop over to Sophia's blog .