Tattoos as fine art in Dyani Lao's 'Indelible Ventures'

An installation depicting a custom tattoo studio displaying flash designs mounted on walls, the ambiance allows the viewer to be part of the artwork and be the artwork at the same time whenever he chooses to get tattooed. With this, the tattoo artist performs his objective of elevating tattooing into fine art.

 

The artworks displayed as flash design are hand drawn with the use of indelible ink pencils, digitally manipulated, then reproduced as digital prints. The medium has been utilized for its properties being similar to thermal carbon paper used for stencils in the tattooing process - duplicating the process of transferring the design on skin; as reproducing prints to paper.

 

The theme “gods and creatures," derived from Philippine mythology, allows the viewer to significantly conduce the past into present. Thus, we are reminded of the rich cultures of the Philippines, and we find the Filipino’s own identity in this art form, rooted in its very own history and heritage.

 

As part of the show, the artist will be conducting a tattoo seminar for pre-chosen participating tattooists, giving a lecture and demo of his own set of skills and techniques - an endeavor replicating the practice of apprenticeship within the world of tattooing. Overall, the whole work serves as a vehicle to express the artist’s lifestyle and passion as a tattoo artist. Indelible Ventures opens on August 4 at THE clothing's The Alternative Gallery, Unit 4B, Cubao X on General Romulo Street in Quezon City.

 

About the artist

 

Jean Pierre “Dyani” Lao graduated from the University of the Philippines, Dliman, College of Fine Arts, with a degree in BFA in Painting. He received the “Gawad Dominador Castañeda” for Best Thesis in 2000 entitled “Ritwal”, a study on the technical aspects of tattooing a live pig, discussing concepts on myth, mysticism, beliefs and the afterlife. 

 

His artworks “Memento”(2001), and “Angkan ni Kabunyan” (2000) -- both mixed media incorporating swine hide tattooing, were finalists on the annual Philippine Art Awards, exhibited at the Manila Metropolitan Museum.

 

For almost seven years, Dyani taught Print-Making as a visiting faculty at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) in Mt. Makiling, Laguna. Later on, from 2006 to 2010, he was hired as the Head Tattooist of Tribal Gear HK/Macau. 

 

Apart from judging numerous tattoo competitions across the country, Dyani was a speaker/ facilitator of “Tattoo Machine Principles” in a seminar for Filipino Tattoo Artist done at the Department Of Health in 2011. He was also a speaker in the annual Neo-Angono Arts festival, for “Ritwal ng Batek:  A Study on Northern Filipino Traditional Tattoo Motifs” in 2011.

 

His first series of Tattoo Flash prints were exhibited in 2010 entitled “Set One”, a two-man show with fellow tattoo artist Oman Daluz, with a genre of Asian mythology and oriental beliefs. “Indelible Ventures” is his first solo exhibition.

 

Dyani currently lives in Quezon City with his wife, Grace Bragais-Lao, and their three kids, Hulyan Lumawig, May-i Waya Sanyata, and Amansinaya Bighani. He rides his bike every now and then, and usually has a hard time feeding all his invertebrates in one day.

 

Since childhood he was always fascinated with mythological creatures, gods, birth, death, afterlife and reincarnation. Incidentally and ironically, he calls himself an atheist. Press release and photos from Dyani Lao