An artisanal body art

Unique, personal and manually created, handpoked tattoos are leaving a lasting impression, one layer of ink at a time

- SREYA DEB

TATTOOS ARE OFTEN considered a stamp of personality, a marker of character and a deeply personal symbolism that remain forever etched on our bodies.Making these creations more intricate and personal are handpoked tattoos, a unique form of body art that is now seeing an uptick among tattoo enthusiasts in India.

Largely similar in look and feel, but created in an entirely different technique, handpoked tattoos involve the usage of a stick, needle and ink to create art on the body.They are done by hand, rather than a tattooing machine, making the process feel artisanal and personal.

Patience, precision and a steady hand are imperative for this body art form, says Shomil Shah, a 43-year-old handpoked tattoo artist based in Mumbai.“To make a tattoo, you need the skin (canvas for the art) and something sharp to put that ink under it. Handpoked tattoos are different in the sense that you get to build the art prick by prick and you can control when the next prick happens, giving you more time and liberty to build the piece more conscientiously,’ explains the graphic designer-turned-tattoo artist, who goes by the handle, @shlo_poke, on Instagram.

Shah has been tattooing full time for the past eight years. He says his business has grown by approximately 25-30% every year.