My body, my art
23.05.12
Our columnist fesses up to a lasting love affair with tattoos.
I THINK I belonged to a tribe in my past life. Why? Because I love all things tribal the exotic textiles, the beads, the design motifs. And I especially love the tattoos, each with its special meaning and story. Strangely, also, many people think that I have some tribal blood in me. Perhaps because of my tightly-curled hair, or my darkish skin tone or my ethnic style, in Malaysia I am often asked if I come from an indigenous community in Borneo.
When I was studying in Canada, they would think I was a mix of Chinese and Eskimo. In fact, one of my friends even called me a sangkai which means an American Indian in a native language. Thanks to the furry hood I used to wear, I certainly did look like one! The fact is, I am 100% Cantonese. So theres no need to guess any more.
But, yes, I am fascinated by tribes. In 2006, I produced a second skin collection which had tribal motifs embroidered onto my garments. In effect, I created fully tattooed bodies by having whole catsuits embroidered in tribal motifs. I called this collection Rich Tribes.
Source: Malaysia Star