Pinay tattoo artist eyes Guinness World Record

If luck would have it, a Canada-based Filipina tattoo artist may soon be the new record-holder for inking the most number of tattoos in 24 hours.

Dianne Kathlene Lopez—or Diankh as she is known among tattoo enthusiasts—is just waiting for the Guinness World Records (GWR) to confirm her attempt to enter the record books.

At a fundraiser she organized from June 30 to July 1, Diankh inked 818 tattoos in 24 hours, or 17 higher than the 801 credited to American tattoo artist Hollis Cantrell in 2008.

“There's something about drawing on skin with a needle and how more permanent it is than any art form—tattooing definitely is the ultimate art form for me,” said the 26-year-old one-time cosplayer and television show host in an email interview with GMA News Online.

Asked on what inspired her to aspire for a Guinness recognition, Diankh, a former Hero TV host, said she has been planning to set a new world record on tattooing since celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D first made it in 2007.

“I wasn't even tattooing (when Kat Von D made the record) but I always thought it would be a sweet challenge. Last year, I started planning a fund raiser for the Edmonton Humane Society and this (idea of setting a) Guinness World Record came up again. I figured it would definitely draw more people as opposed to just a regular fund raiser... and it worked!” she said.

Although Diankh only learned how to ink in 2009 when she was already in Canada, she said she has been fascinated by tattoos even as a child, when she would draw during her school days in the Philippines even though her teachers discouraged her.

While Diankh was not able to achieve her own goal of inking 1,000 people, she said she is elated her fundraiser was able to raise $4,800 for EHS. She described the whole event as a surreal experience for her because so many people arrived to support her cause.

“It was pretty surreal having people show up and get tattooed by me. [It was] really tiring too but I just had this mind set and drive. Everyone was really supportive—a lot of them tried hard not to move [while I was inking them] and tried to help out in every way they can. They all said they love that I'm doing this for the EHS,” she said.

The event, dubbed “Inky Paws for a Cause,” drew hundreds of tattoo aficionados and animal lovers to a bar in Edmonton.

In accordance with the guidelines set by GWR, Diankh inked standardized designs of small paw prints and the infinity symbol in black and gray inks for a $20 fee.

The proceeds all went to the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS), an animal welfare group.

Meanwhile, Diankh is confident of her chances of being in the record books since she followed GWS’ guidelines to the letter and meticulously documented the event through photos and videos.

In the meantime, she is busy preparing for the opening of her own tattoo studio and planning for a visit to the Philippines in December.

“I was disappointed I couldn’t go with my parents this July because I was doing Inky Paws for a Cause. But hopefully this holiday season, we [would] finally be able to come back,” she said.

With lady luck on her side, Diank might just arrive in the Philippines with a world record under her name. — KBK, GMA News