Call me a pilgrim.
In my early 20's, I had the idea that I had what it took to be a tattoo artist. Fueled by binging on Miami Ink and my fascination with Japanese woodblock, my greatest and most overarching passion was to be a tattooist in the tradition of old Japanese masters, my services sought by gangsters in fundoshi (that would be the pilipit ns bahag of the Japanese. It's painfully cool).
Fast-forward to the present, my late 20's, and I am not quite there. So while I may have had to accept that I won't be called Hori-something anymore (sadly, tattooing by hand pricking isn't in the cards for me), I still have a love for tattoo culture, but this now, it also includes the people. This is all thanks to Dutdutan.
I first came to Dutdutan, happily, when it was still a niche event, and wasn't so heavily sponsored. Sure, there was already a bikini contest, but it wasn't crawling with mouth-breathing creeps with cameras, only there to hungrily snap pictures of half-naked women, to be uploaded for bragging rights (sorry for the rant, but damn, fellas be thirsty lately). With the stage events barely relating to tattoo anymore, you walk the floor. This is where Dutdutan is still largely the same. Year after year, you meet the same cool, chill people, whether they are artists (surprisingly, yes, they're the boss but they're not too busy within reason), models (both dudes and girls), fellow enthusiasts, and even the friendly Tribal staff (for people working in retail, they sure are chipper). I even met friends there in their respective booths, like Sarah and Paolo (snowflake on the floor, Turbogoth on stage), Wildchild Tattoo (represent!) and the ever-friendly Dyuntats booth (if you're not friends with them yet, you will be). This is the showcase of tattoo, both as an art and as a lifestyle. You'll come to Dutdutan for the curiosity, but you'll stay for the people. read more