In a new column, i speaks to women about an ordinary day in an extraordinary job. We continue this week with Lesley Chan, a tattooist at Shangri-La Tattoo Parlour in London.
A tattooist is a technician, a counsellor, a creative, a comic, a first aider and an alchemist. So much of my job is in the detail – each step is crucial. It is the drafting, prep and post- tattooing work that consumes time. Producing the tattoo is the ultimate joy.
Designing tattoos can take up to eight hours. Tattooing is a demanding yet rewarding experience for both me and my clients.
My alarm goes off at:
7am so I can walk Bear the dog, breathe in that marsh air and get to work.
I prepare for the day ahead by:
I try to keep the tradition of banking on Monday which is what the old school boys did back in the day. I quite like the ritual. I go training and I cycle around from the bank to school and printing shops as cycling helps me get more done. Being freelance means juggling personal and business missions. My to-do lists are my saviour.
I can’t leave the house without:
Walking the dog, prepping for my clients and my mission list.
On an average day, I:
Cleaning my machines and instruments is important. It’s a lengthy process as there are health and safety and cross-contamination to be considered.
I have one or two clients a day, two or three days a week. One client can sit for up to five hours a day.
The best part of my day is:
When the tattoo evolves and I engage with clients.
And the worst part:
Cleaning my tubes.
Why I love my job:
I get to engage with people, draw and work in an industry that stems from a history of ritual, identity, tribalism and commitment.
I relax after work by:
Being with my babies, talking, eating and drinking tea. Very Chinese-y.
‘I love outsider, folk art and the ideas about identity, fantasy, and the psyche. Tattooing touches on all of those things.’
I go to bed:
Between 11pm and 2am. I’m attempting to go to bed earlier.
Why I started tattooing:
I studied painting at Central Saint Martins but felt isolated. Being in a studio all day with just the companionship of a radio was hard going. I love outsider, folk art and the ideas about identity, fantasy, and the psyche. Tattooing touches on all of those things.
I asked myself, what enables me to draw, talk to people and earn money while caring for my two-year-old daughter? I came across a shop in south London, walked in and asked if I could watch. I was put into the deep end and tattooing on the floor within three weeks. That could never happen today. You would be laughed out of the shop.
My most memorable tattoo:
‘The tattoos were in memory of his 12-year-old boy who had died in a hit and run. The father was philosophical, positive and resonated so much love and appreciation for his family’
A father got a sleeve of various cartoons and logos on his arm from Disney and confectionary brands. Most people would mock a sleeve like this and many did: ‘What’s a man doing with these tattoos?’
The tattoos were in memory of his 12-year-old boy who had died in a hit and run. The father was philosophical, positive and resonated so much love and appreciation for his family.
The women I admire:
I have had little association with the tattoo industry. It’s very male-dominated, hence this interview. I found many women had to conform to the restraints that the industry imposes. But there are certainly some women who have entered the industry and act autonomously within it.
My advice to women who want to break into the industry:
Work hard and create a space to work where it is true to what you want to be. Try not to compromise your feminine and don’t lose a healthy ego.
If you would like to be featured in this column, contact heather.saul@inews.co.uk
