Rishabh Narang
Immortal Tattoos
Chandigarh, India
I belong to the city of beautiful Chandigarh. Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas, about 260km north of Delhi. I was born and raised in a nuclear family with my two siblings & my parents. Growing up, my life was confined between my home and school without indulging in many extracurricular activities, so, apart from my studies and playing with friends, I enjoyed spending my free time drawing!After finishing my engineering studies, I realized I was not cut out to build a career in this field! It took a few months sitting indecisively about my next steps. Being born and raised in a small city, I had not seen tattooing around me or on any of my friends. Although my father did have an OM symbol on his hand (which is something common you see from their generation). My real encounter with tattoos happened while watching LA Ink. Watching the show, the process and the storytelling were fascinating. I got hooked on it and would watch every show for hours daily! That was when my father noticed my interest and suggested I consider tattooing as a career. Even my girlfriend back then, who’s now my wife, also supported the idea as she had seen some of my drawings, too. Tattooing (also known as “godna,” which literally means to mark) has been a part of our cultural history for many decades. Tattoos were used as a symbol of identification, religious markings, tribal symbolism & ornamental decorative purposes by women, etc, in small towns and villages.
As the Indian economy & education system was growing, there came an era where tattooing lost its presence and was only left to be seen as a thing that happened on the side of the streets, in front of the temples, or at small local carnivals (called “mela” in Hindi)
In my younger days, in our society, it was so unconventional for a father to suggest or even support their kid’s idea to pursue a career as a tattoo artist; one couldn’t even dream of making a living out of it. And here I was, ready to walk the road less traveled!!
I did a formal apprenticeship in 2009 with one of the few artists/studios India had at that time. The way I became an apprentice to Lokesh Verma of Devilz Tattooz, New Delhi, is a story in itself.
After a few months of training and learning, I returned to my hometown. Tattooing still did not hold a spot in our society, so I started making tattoos from my home for a few friends of friends who were interested, and gradually, the word began to spread.
I used to tattoo the images from the internet that my clients would request or bring as an idea. I would make changes to the existing idea to improve the overall design while also figuring out how to do things the right way.
In the months ahead, many young guys and girls were reaching out and getting tattooed at my home-based studio. So, my parents thought it best to move to a more professional and commercial setup.
That was when Chandigarh would have its first tattoo studio, Immortal Tattoos, a safe place for people who wanted to mark their bodies permanently.
I was consistently focused on creating quality artwork, which included taking care of the technical details as well.
While experiencing and exploring different style requests from my clients, my inclination toward realism grew. Our studio and the work we were producing were getting appreciated, and soon, we became one of the most reputed studios in the growing Indian tattoo community.
And that’s when there was a turning point when I met my mentor during one of my visits to his Delhi studio, and when I showed him some of my latest works, he said that they looked “too perfect.” He added that art has human errors, and my work seemed more like a photocopy of the reference images used.
During this time, portraits, realism, minimalism, small symbols, lettering, etc, were becoming a popular demand with most of our clients. And here I was, questioning my work and how I was doing it. I wanted to know art, feel it, live it, and create like an artist. This felt like a faraway dream for me.
We used to host many of our friends as guest artists at our studio. And one of my friends, who was doing a guest spot, introduced me to the Japanese tattoo style. It opened a sea full of beautiful traditional Japanese tattoos, which felt larger than life due to its immense strength, massive scale, and bold looks.
These tattoos not only looked great but also passed the test of time for the way they age on the skin. Most of these images hold deep meanings from the folklore of Japan. They would match the expressions, the characteristics, or the significance they carried for the wearer.
Initially, I was treating it like an image reference-based tattooing, so whenever I would bring Japanese tattoo style as a suggestion in my consultations, people would immediately refuse by saying it was too bold or scary. I couldn’t figure out what I was missing!
To explore and learn from the artists who inspired me, I started traveling, visiting tattoo conventions, and doing guest spots in different countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.
During this time, I learned the importance of drawing and sketching to create my designs. It further inspired me to know more about the meanings and stories behind the subjects of Japanese culture. It helped me and my clients understand and choose certain subjects for each individual who came in for their tattoos.
My inclination towards this art form also led me to get myself tattooed, and I learned a lot about the process, building the required patience and perseverance in this journey.
I took it as an opportunity to travel to faraway places and get tattooed by artists I admired. Every moment of this experience has been memorable despite the challenges and obstacles I had to face to reach those places and get appointments from the artists with a long waiting list.
The process also made me mindful of my actions, which led me to produce works that will not only pass the test of time but also impact the wearer.
Some artists that inspire me to date are Yutaro, Horitoshi the First, Filip Leu, Luke Atkinson, Teddy Ferrer, Brian Kaneko, Alex Rusty, and many more.
What started as a career option shown by my father has now become a reason to live. Connecting with the people I get to tattoo brings me immense joy. I believe tattooing is a form of energy transformation in people’s lives. I am blessed to witness and be a part of their journey.
Tattooing in India still has a long way to go, considering the impact social media and the growing popularity of schools and academics have on young aspiring artists. They are yet to see beyond the corporate hacking and business mindset and realize that the true essence of this art form lies in its traditions. It’s all about getting true apprenticeships, creating discipline, undergoing rigorous practice, and experiencing tattooing as a way of life.
I wish to continue contributing with the best of my abilities and knowledge gained over the past years towards making and keeping the magic of tattooing alive!!!
