No.20261003

離開社群媒體之後，我少了很多即時發佈作品的需求，也因此有更多時間重新思考刺青這件事。

這幾年我常常在想，什麼是一個好的刺青師？ 一個好的刺青，完成後究竟應該是什麼樣子？

以前我常常在完成刺青的當下就急著拍照。 紅腫的傷口還流著組織液。傷口因為腫脹、充滿水分在鏡頭裡產生反光，為了拍照，我甚至會用乾紙巾反覆擦拭客戶的傷口。 這種痛苦是不言而喻的 - 畢竟我自己也經歷過。

後來少了即時發佈作品的需求之後，我跟客戶約定好等傷口復原半年後再檢查是否補色，如果半年後我刺入的作品有95%都還穩固地在皮膚裡，那麼這個作品才算結案，我們可以拍照了。

常有因為生活忙碌過了一年、兩年、三年才回來拍照的客戶，慢慢的也出現有來找我聊聊天最後連照片都忘了拍的情況。

但想了想，其實有沒有拍照片似乎也沒有很重要。

最重要的，是客戶珍惜這個刺青，並願意帶著它一起走進往後的生活。

直到這一刻，我才覺得這個作品總算完成了。




照片是V先生，任職於東京時裝業，正在認真準備東京馬拉松大賽。


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After stepping away from social media, I no longer felt the same need to post my work immediately. It also gave me more time to think about tattooing itself.

Over the past few years, I’ve often found myself wondering: what makes a good tattoo artist? And what should a good tattoo look like once it is truly finished?

I used to rush to take photos as soon as a tattoo was completed. The skin would still be red, swollen, and leaking plasma. Because the swelling and moisture created reflections in the camera, I would sometimes wipe the client’s skin repeatedly with dry paper towels just to get a cleaner photo. The pain of that is easy to understand — I’ve experienced it myself.

Later, once I no longer felt the need to publish my work immediately, I began asking clients to come back after the tattoo had healed for six months so I could check whether any touch-ups were needed. If, after six months, around 95% of what I had put into the skin was still holding well, I considered the piece complete. That was when we could take the photo.

Some clients became busy with life and only came back after one, two, or even three years. Gradually, there were also times when they simply came by to talk, and in the end we forgot to take a photo altogether.

And after thinking about it, whether or not there is a photo does not seem all that important.

What matters most is that the client values the tattoo and is willing to carry it with them into the life that comes after.

Only then do I feel that the piece is finally complete.

The person in the photo is Mr. V, who works in the fashion industry in Tokyo and is currently training seriously for the Tokyo Marathon.