Stamped with love

It’s probably safe to say that there’s no symbol of love more prevalent or enduring than red roses. But if the latest and hottest Valentine’s Day trends are anything to go by, getting inked together tops the list of romantic endeavours. An increasing number of couples are getting matching inkings to show their commitment to passion, desire and above all, love.

Noted tattoo artist, Mo Naga, founder-artist at Godna Gram – the tattoo village and Headhunters’Ink shares, “It became a big trend when Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan along with a couple of Hollywood bigwigs (Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, Beyonce and Jay-Z, etc.) got matching tattoos a few years ago. I think it is a cute way to express the love you have for one another. I did three-four matching tattoos in just last couple of months at my Delhi studio. I am seeing a lot many couples opening up to this idea. Tattoos are becoming more accepted and popular these days and these couple tattoos have sparked an arty boomlet of their own. I am quite happy that more people will now get to experience the magic of tattoos.”

Another noted tattoo artist, Vikas Malani, co-founder at BodyCanvas Tattoos shares, “With changing trends, we are now seeing more couples coming in to get matching tattoos done. And, it has gone beyond having each other’s names tattooed. Couples are trying out some really innovative, customised and unique options.”

Mo Naga who is also known for promoting Indian-inspired tattoos agrees and adds, “Seven to eight years ago, people mostly just copied tattoos. But, nowadays it’s a totally different ball game altogether. There is much more awareness among the public as they are realising that tattoos are beyond trends and fashion. This is making the work of artists like me more enjoyable and fulfilling.”

Tattoos, in general, are whimsical and fun, but for Sachin Bhavsaar and for his partner Arnav Vijaywargi, they are an extension of their souls. “It’s not just about wearing a tattoo, it’s about wearing a work of art on your body,” says Sachin who is a space designer and a product stylist, adding, “My partner and I, both belong to the creative field, so we wanted something that was unique and only ours. After a lot of brainstorming, we decided to get a pair of matching tattoos, which denoted the five elements of nature. When we looked at the beauty of nature, we found that five elements provided the foundation for the entire physical world — Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth — as the building blocks of all material existence. It represented us as a couple.”

Talking about several such unique preferences, Mo shares, “Today, people are really digging water colour effects, tribal and ornamental abstract designs. But having said that, the small little tattoos like the stars, flying birds, butterflies, heart and name tattoos continue to sell like hot cakes. It is difficult to say which tattoo request is a unique one, but requests for cosmetic tattoos like the eyebrows, lipline, covering baldness, etc. are always interesting and challenging.”

 “I like tattoos but I’m not crazy about them. I’ve always been more of the indecisive, noncommittal types when it came to body art, and I surely wasn’t ready to take the plunge before my husband came up with a really stylish option,” says Neha Dhami, a marketing executive. She adds, “I always feared that I’d end up getting one of those widely reported mondegreens in the form of tattoos in some foreign language and I’d have to live with that for my whole life. I’ve come across so many funny mondegreens and polysemous tattoos on people’s arms, legs, shoulders, etc. that I dropped the idea altogether of getting it done. But now, I’m planning to get one along with my hubby on Valentine’s Day. In fact, we are going to get our son’s tiny little feet from the time of his birth, which we had safely captured in a photo, and replicate it to get matching tattoos. Our son is the ultimate symbol of our love, so what better way than that!”