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Creativity, trust and a bit of pain: A closer look at tattoo art at Dutdutan 13
A sea of people attended Dutdutan 13 for the performers and especially the tattoo artists and their creations.
It was raining heavily on the second and final night of Dutdutan Trese in the final days of September, but that did not seem to deter the people waiting in line. Nearly drenched, they squeezed themselves under the roofs, making their way through bouncers and almost celebrating once they’d reached the entrance doors.
Some were scheduled to be tattooed, some were there to set appointments with artists who would otherwise be difficult to reach, and some were there for the musical performances of artists like Mike Hanopol, Joey Ayala, Kamikazee, and P.O.D.
Now on its thirteenth year, Dutdutan has proven that the Philippines is getting more and more famous for skin art. Inside the World Trade Center was a sensory avalanche—tattooed men and women, boys and girls, walking around with all sorts of stories on their skins.
There were aspects of the event that went a little overboard, like the bikini competition—details of which I will not elaborate on. Let’s just say that to me, it screamed an ear-piercing “R-18.” It was something I would’ve shrugged off had I not seen little kids in the venue.
I enjoyed most other things about the event, however. The sound of needles buzzing in every corner was music to every tattoo lover’s ears. The room bristled with incredible designs, and most importantly, people looked happy.
The event was big. Too big, in fact, that one could easily get lost in the sea of people and hundreds of booths. So to narrow things down, I sat down and talked to some people who had been painstakingly preparing for the event for months.
Some were scheduled to be tattooed, some were there to set appointments with artists who would otherwise be difficult to reach, and some were there for the musical performances of artists like Mike Hanopol, Joey Ayala, Kamikazee, and P.O.D.
Now on its thirteenth year, Dutdutan has proven that the Philippines is getting more and more famous for skin art. Inside the World Trade Center was a sensory avalanche—tattooed men and women, boys and girls, walking around with all sorts of stories on their skins.
There were aspects of the event that went a little overboard, like the bikini competition—details of which I will not elaborate on. Let’s just say that to me, it screamed an ear-piercing “R-18.” It was something I would’ve shrugged off had I not seen little kids in the venue.
I enjoyed most other things about the event, however. The sound of needles buzzing in every corner was music to every tattoo lover’s ears. The room bristled with incredible designs, and most importantly, people looked happy.
The event was big. Too big, in fact, that one could easily get lost in the sea of people and hundreds of booths. So to narrow things down, I sat down and talked to some people who had been painstakingly preparing for the event for months.
At the judging table, images that were copied onto the bodies were held up to the tattoos for comparison.
Artist, model, apprentice
For their Dutdutan 2013 entry, tattoo artist Dyun Depasupil and his friend and client Karl Iniego started in July to complete about 15 three- to four-hour sessions for their Leg piece entry. Before his nine to five job at an IT company, Karl would drive to Dyun’s Fairview home (where he has a studio) to spend three to four hours getting tattooed. During weekends, the sessions sometimes took up to nine hours.
When I arrived at the Dyuntats booth, there was already an award (one of the most creative plaques I’ve seen in a while) on the table. He’d already won second place for the Arm category, and was still waiting for another announcement—the leg piece he and Karl worked on for months.
Sharing the booth was illustrator/graphic artist Wiji Lacsamana, who fondly calls Dyun “sensei.” She apprenticed for him four years ago, and now she already does tattoos two or three times a week.
For their Dutdutan 2013 entry, tattoo artist Dyun Depasupil and his friend and client Karl Iniego started in July to complete about 15 three- to four-hour sessions for their Leg piece entry. Before his nine to five job at an IT company, Karl would drive to Dyun’s Fairview home (where he has a studio) to spend three to four hours getting tattooed. During weekends, the sessions sometimes took up to nine hours.
When I arrived at the Dyuntats booth, there was already an award (one of the most creative plaques I’ve seen in a while) on the table. He’d already won second place for the Arm category, and was still waiting for another announcement—the leg piece he and Karl worked on for months.
Sharing the booth was illustrator/graphic artist Wiji Lacsamana, who fondly calls Dyun “sensei.” She apprenticed for him four years ago, and now she already does tattoos two or three times a week.
Dyun's former apprentice Wiji Lacsamana at work.
Dyun, who tattoos six days a week, first exhibited in Dutdutan in 2011. Since joining, he’s won several awards, including first place in the Ribcage and Leg categories, and second in Tribal. In 2012, he got second and third place in the Black and Gray Medium and Leg categories, respectively.
Dyun started tattooing Karl (the same model for Dyun’s winning Ribcage and Leg tattoos in previous years) in 2007. Through the years, both men have grown confident enough to let each other decide what’s best for the design. Karl lets Dyun deal with the aesthetics, and provides suggestions. “I trust his threshold of pain. Kung may inputs siya, open din naman ako,” said Dyun.
Dyun’s designs are often informed by dreams. He said that if he doesn’t use them as designs for tattoos, they’d just keep on coming back.
This relationship is built on trust, said Dyun, who explained that the process involves him thinking of a concept and suggesting it to Karl and vice versa. It’s the good ol’ barber-client relationship, but with a lot more needles involved. It may be a rather painful type of bromance.
When asked about what he thinks would qualify as common tattoo misconceptions, Dyun discussed pain: “Misconception nila na sobrang sakit ng tattoo. Well, depende sa placement, pero tolerable siya, lalo na ngayon na may mga machine na hindi masyado masakit ang tusok.
“They don’t know na parang doktor din mga equipments and process namin, kaya habang tinatatuan namin mga first timers, sinasabayan na din namin na i-educate sila sa tattoo process.”
I was chatting with other people who came to the booth to support them when they started announcing the winners. Dyun’s leg piece—a design that covered Karl’s right leg, from thigh to ankle—had won second place.
Dyun started tattooing Karl (the same model for Dyun’s winning Ribcage and Leg tattoos in previous years) in 2007. Through the years, both men have grown confident enough to let each other decide what’s best for the design. Karl lets Dyun deal with the aesthetics, and provides suggestions. “I trust his threshold of pain. Kung may inputs siya, open din naman ako,” said Dyun.
Dyun’s designs are often informed by dreams. He said that if he doesn’t use them as designs for tattoos, they’d just keep on coming back.
This relationship is built on trust, said Dyun, who explained that the process involves him thinking of a concept and suggesting it to Karl and vice versa. It’s the good ol’ barber-client relationship, but with a lot more needles involved. It may be a rather painful type of bromance.
When asked about what he thinks would qualify as common tattoo misconceptions, Dyun discussed pain: “Misconception nila na sobrang sakit ng tattoo. Well, depende sa placement, pero tolerable siya, lalo na ngayon na may mga machine na hindi masyado masakit ang tusok.
“They don’t know na parang doktor din mga equipments and process namin, kaya habang tinatatuan namin mga first timers, sinasabayan na din namin na i-educate sila sa tattoo process.”
I was chatting with other people who came to the booth to support them when they started announcing the winners. Dyun’s leg piece—a design that covered Karl’s right leg, from thigh to ankle—had won second place.
Dyun Depasupil's winning leg piece
“Masaya,” Karl said. “Noong una kaming nanalo ni Dyun sa Ribcage nagbasaan kami ng beer!”
There were no beer showers this time around, but both artist and client were thrilled to win yet another award. Outside, the rain had died down, but inside the venue, things were just getting started. Bands continued playing, beers kept on flowing, and the familiar buzzing echoed from every corner—something that I’m sure would still be around next year, maybe even louder. — BM, GMA News
There were no beer showers this time around, but both artist and client were thrilled to win yet another award. Outside, the rain had died down, but inside the venue, things were just getting started. Bands continued playing, beers kept on flowing, and the familiar buzzing echoed from every corner—something that I’m sure would still be around next year, maybe even louder. — BM, GMA News
