The social attitudes towards tattoos on the body have often been viewed under negative light. There are various stereotypes attached to men and women who have tattoos or piercings on their body. People may get tattoos for several reasons like self-expression, artistic freedom and rebellion or for cultural and social symbolism. Ronak Patel got his first tattoo in 2012 to understand how the machinery works to make the art. He is the founder of Kings Tattoo Supply, a company that supplies all the machinery and material required by tattoo artists in India. With the intention of bringing together several tattoo artists, he decided to start the Pune Tattoo Festival which will take place on October 14, 15 and 16.
“The tattoo industry in India is worth Rs 500 crore. It is the fastest growing industry in the world with tremendous potential. I have traveled around the world and such festivals are quite a common phenomenon there. India is such a big market and yet we don’t have a festival where people can broaden their perspective on tattooing. I’m sure someday it’ll be parallel to the beauty and cosmetics industry as well,” explains Patel. The festival aims to create a platform for tattoo artists and common people so that together they can understand the art and the technology better.
Patel mentions that Pune is just the perfect place for such a festival as there is a high presence of youngsters due to the number of educational institutions. “People come from different backgrounds and the city is more cosmopolitan as compared to Mumbai. Pune is also the ideal place as it is situated between Mumbai and Goa. We have some extremely talented artists coming from all over the country and more than 1,500 artists will be visiting the festival. This festival will change people’s perception about the tattoo industry.”
Apart from getting inked and watching others get inked, the festival will also have workshops for budding tattoo artists. “There will be workshops on piercing as well as seminars that teach the basics and foundation in the field of tattooing. We will also have a seminar on studio management which will be very helpful for budding tattoo artists who want to start their own studios,” says Patel.
The festival will take place at Raga Lawns in Koregaon Park on October 14 , 15 and 16 from 11 am to 10 pm.
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