INTERVIEW WITH LENIN LAITHANGBAM AND TOMYSON LAISHANGBAM

 

LENIN LAITHANGBAM

Lenin’s tattoo has been nominated in the ongoing HYDERABAD TIMES TATTOO CONTEST

How long have you been practicing tattooing?

I’m not a Tattoo artist as my tattoo has been done by my friend Tommy Laishangbam . He is truly a tattoo artist. I just love to have a tattoo on my body which shows the logic of humanity, spirituality, expression in my real life.

What inspired you to have this tattoo?

I wanted to have a tattoo that is unique but at the same times express who am I as a person. I am very spiritual and perhaps that is my motivation and my inspiration.

Has tattoo as an art form reached the acceptable level to make it a viable business?

Yes. I believe we have come to accepted new art forms. There are tattoo parlors across India and there is a lot of people who has inked themselves.

Can you tell us more about your entry with the Hyderabad Times’s Tattoo Content?

I came across the ad in the newspaper and I decided to send in my entry. I believed that my tattoo was good but I never expected my entry to be hot listed. I am asking my friends on various social network platforms to vote for me.

Description of the Tattoo:  My tattoo holds an element of Ying and Yang (black and white), depicting the true meaning of life, which is to experience both happiness and sorrow. When you have experienced both, only then will you know peace. KOI Fish represents sensitivity. When people are sensitive, they learn quickly about life and body languages. The water represents spirituality.

TOMYSON LAISHANGBAM

How long have you been practicing tattooing?
It’s been around 4years that I’ve been tattooing. I started with a handmade machine.

What inspired you to have this tattoo?

Honestly, nothing inspires me for tattooing but the tattoo itself. Itis totally different kind of art because the medium is our body.. I learnt the art to draw by tattooing before I can sketch it on a piece of paper. So, the body itself is the medium to express my art. I’m trying to connect their ideas with art then with the person who’s trying to picture his thought and get paint on his body. this challenging attitude I love to wear, so the tattoo itself inspire me for tattooing.

Has tattoo as an art form reached the acceptable level to make it a viable business?

Yes. Tattoo is kind of fashion that we can wear till we met our demise. If a person loves modern music, then definitely he/she’ll love to do fashion. If he/she loves fashion then they will love to go for a tattoo. So in urban areas the fashion of tattoo is good with money.

Can you tell us more about your entry with the Hyderabad Times’s Tattoo Content?

 I really don’t know any tattoo artist over here in Hyderabad. So I took part in this contest to compare my piece of work with all of them and to share the idea of life with everybody through my tattoo.

 What do you think are your chances in winning this one?

If you go deeply with the theme, the ideas you can expand it into a great extent. It is a fashion, expression and spiritual base . The tattoo consist of three layers . The tattoo itself express an idea about how to acknowledge the true meaning of life and it’s element to acquire it. Because of this idealistic composition, I must say ‘’yes’’ .