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Amsterdam Tattoo Convention

RAI, Amsterdam (NL), June 4-6, 2010

The athmosphere was just great at the Tattoo Convention in Amsterdam. A 'family' of happy tattoo lovers gathered around the 100 (!) booths of tattoo artists from all over the world. Many experienced people came here to have a spare piece of skin filled up with some nice ink, but also a lot of brave newbies grabbed this chance to get a tattoo by their dreamed artist, who otherwise would be far out of reach. Like Stephanie, a business woman from Rotterdam, from Dutch-Bornean ancestry, who had a big, beautiful flower tattoed on her back in the traditional manner by Durga Tattoo from Borneo, Indonesia. We admired her endurance... Endurance of pain could also be seen by the many who had layed down by the traditional artists from Japan, New Zealand and such. The audience talked with them while they were 'tortured' and kept them cheerful. People had come from far also to be tattoed by one of the great Dutch artists around. Like the guy from Kenia who had especially come to a Dutch artist to have a fierceful tiger tattoed on his leg.

We ourselves had come here mainly to look for the Nordic tattoo artists who are well known in the Black Metal scene and we met Carlos Aquilar of Blackshadows Tattoos from Uppsala, Sweden and Mikael and Alex from House of Pain in Stockholm, Sweden. Both shops are well known for tattooing a great many metal artists and their specific, black-and-grey styles are well known in the metal scene. Amomgst Blackshadows clients are people like the late Jon Nodtveidt (Dissection), Helmuth of Belphegor and artists of the bands Dimmu Borgir, Morbid Angel, Destruction, Gorgoroth, Necrophobic, Dark Funeral, Legion of the Damned, Watain, Immortal, Krisiun. At the two other Swedish booths we admired the colorful style, that is famous for lasting bright for many years. On Saturday a contest was held and there we expecially admired the impressive body suits and Japanese designs. Sunday was the busiest day, with most visitors; we used it to complete our photo impression. An overview of the different tattoo styles, artists and decorated people, is presented in the next two pages.

Photography by Chérie, Metalphoto. Text by Chérie (June 6, 2010)