The World and Beyond
RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. June 3-5, 2011

Text and Photo’s: Chérie

The 7th edition of the Benelux’ largest international tattoo convention The World and Beyond was a colorful and crowded event with more than 170 tattoo artists.
Often famous and excellent artists from the worldwide tattoo scene took part in the event, hailing from Australia, New Zealand, Borneo, Japan, China, all over Europe: from the UK to Russia, from Norway to Portugal, the U.S.A. , Argentina and Brazil, Samoa and Tahiti. Of course the large Dutch tattoo scene was represented well: by 19 shops such that of Jan Born from Rotterdam, who has 30 years of tattooing experience and a shop with 6 artists. The famous mr. Dan Gold of London Ink had been signed to work as a guest in this shop for a week. We stopped by Tattoo Centre Alkmaar where Ron Rijks owns a shop in which not only he and the Rumanian artist Icon Transylvania are active but also Ron’s two beautiful daughters Louella and Désanka. Icon is a graduate from the Rumanian art academy. The gracious Louella was just getting her left arm tattoed with a beautiful complex design of a saxophone and Marilyn Monroe: a joyful design on a pretty skin. As a lover of black shading and Celtic motives I was drawn to the shop of Eus in Leyden. Being a formal graphical designer and drawer of advertisements Eus has been a versatile tattoo artist for the past 23 years, who was won many contests at international conventions. At Tattoomania the shop of the always cheerful Gerrit, from Apeldoorn, who is famous for his portraits and a lot more, we learned to our grief that this artist is fully booked until April 2013. This did not come as a surprise, however, since last year the cue had been just as long.
We discussed the booming business with Phil Kyle of Magnum Opus Tattoo from Brighton, UK. Phil is world famous from his appearance in London Ink a 16-episode TV show about a tattoo shop on the Discovery Channel aired all around the globe. He has been tattooing for 20 years and is a strong believer in the ‘old school’ traditions of tattooing and respecting it. “Tattooing is a craft that needs to be learned properly through a long apprenticeship; not from experimenting with cheap, inferior equipment, like you see happening often nowadays”, is his opinion. The use of proper hand crafted tattoo equipment is also important, he says. Phil thinks that -in terms of quality- tattoo art might be better of “returning to the underground, where it belongs”.
We strolled along many shops where people were getting their first tattoo. Like the Dutch Lau, who was getting a lion on his side (from King Ferry of Tattoo Palace Amsterdam): “because it is a symbol of pride” he said proudly and the slender Polish young man who received a large angel head on his torso, lying on a wooden board and was in great pain for hours. The Russian tattooist (of the Polish D3XS Tattoo Orchestra) comforted him with words but steadily worked on while torturing his client who was gnashing his teeth. I asked him why he had chosen this artist and he said he has admired the work of Anton Oleksenko from the internet.
Most people however were no newbies when it came to getting tattooed, on the contrary. Like the young Dutchman who “loves pussies”, as he explained laughingly, while he was getting a pussy-wearing monstrous insect by Vienna Electric Tattoo on his calf. Or the Italian who was getting a skull on his arm from Blood & Tears Tattoo from Spain, while his body was covered with all different types of designs, from a colourful pinup and a fairy world to a black and grey portrait and black chinese symbol: “I simply like all styles” he explained smilingly, when I asked him about his taste.
We were wondering why people come to a convention to get tattooed for the eyes of the crowd and so we asked some of them. In most cases it is because an international convention like this for them is the sole opportunity they have to get a tattoo from their favorite artist, who lives far abroad. Like the Norwegian young father, who had expecially travelled to Amsterdam to get a tattoo from the world famous José Lopez of Lowrider tattoo from Los Angeles (CA,USA). The aimable artist in a wheel chair drew a portrait of the little girl on the father’s arm, while talking to us about his specialism: black and grey fineline, also called “chicano style” tattoos.
In between all the artwork one could take a break at the cosy café-restaurant or watch one of the many shows, like that of the exotic Vatea dance group from Polynesia or the mystical Hannya dance performance of the Japanse artist Sanaxxx.
And of course the contests at the end of the day, formed a great closure and tribute to all the hours of needlework and hardship that both artists and clients had endured.