MEN AND THEIR ‘INK’

I am inked. Yes, and I mean no shaggy dog story when I present this averment. So a few weeks ago when my job mentor saw it I had to do the explaining I usually do to anyone who sees my two babies. Based on her religious beliefs, I think I’m an agent of the devil. This was implied. Today T.S.R introduces you to the world of tats. I got in touch with a few friends to the situation room who are similarly inked and believe me, call them deviant and/or rebels, I definitely call it swag. Even my friend Morgan says that he is keen on getting one on his butt 'cheek' soon in addition to his Prince Albert piercing. Yap, that's wassup babies.

 ‘Hey Cole, I’m inked for life and I love it!’ says Stephane de Benito the author of Grim, Grey and Smokey on this blog. 
This superbly matured Spaniard who’s been living and working for gain in the country for almost half a decade spots a Unicorn tattoo somewhere next to his‘goodies’ (Ok, don’t let your mind drift).

Since I was very young, I always wanted to have a tattoo, a tattoo that means something. I have been attracted by the philosophy of the Unicorn: While the unicorn is curious, imaginative and resourceful, its ultimate power is in its ability to survive. Whenever a unicorn hits a difficult time in its life or even criticism from others for being itself, it simply turns its horn toward the negativity and lets the horn soak it in. The unicorn’s horn is like a sponge for the pain of adversity and insults. While others collapse at the first sign of resistance or at the first criticism they receive, the unicorn is able to take that black negativity and turn it into a rainbow of awesome achievement. Gay god knows I try…
There is a Spanish song readily available on YouTube: ‘Unicornio Azul’ that supports his obsession with this mythical creature. Asked on what it means to him and when he got it: For one reason or another, I never got my head round to do it. It was always in my mind. One of my favorite songs says “my blue unicorn was lost yesterday, if anyone knows where it is, I beg some information”… Well that is exactly what my tattoo means. For over forty years I have been looking for my Blue Unicorn and in this search I travel to many places and met too many fake horns. It is only in Kenya that I finally found my Blue Unicorn and the courage to have ‘inked’ on me permanently so HE does not get lost again…

Kyle Ogila -a resident of NBO- is not only one fine brother when it comes to looks and style but also loves his ink. ‘I got mine in January of 09. It's largely a tribal tattoo that spoke to me. To be honest, I’ve never really bothered to find out what it meant coz I really like it.’ He opines.

The Addis based konjo who distinguished for us the zega scene in NBO and the land of Haile Selassie is also not left behind in this ink discussion. Victor Geta narrates: 

‘My parents would definitely kill me if they saw these. They are extremely devout when it comes to matters Jesus. My first tattoo is a phoenix bird. I googled and read about this mythical creature and was so mesmerized. I like how it burns, dies and then rises again from the ashes. It is in a nutshell my story. 

All those bi*ches trying to bring me down and saying all kind of appalling things about my sexuality, I always find a way to get up and rise. I just wanted a symbol of that on my body to remind me of how and where I’ve come from.
My second tattoo is of a wolf yawning, barking, Ok, I don't know what the term is but woooooing, Cole you are the queen of English, that word (laughs hysterically) there is the moon and a skull by its side and its head held up to the moon and yawning.  

Before I became this free and independent zega person I was one of those guys who cried a lot at night yearning for a solution for my ‘curse’. It reminds me of the lonely times when I was chasing down my demons. The skull is the old me: Dead and gone.

My third tattoo is of a tiger. I'm a cat person and I adore tigers. They’re so fierce and elegant and you can't tell which one is the male or the female. Gosh, you have to see the balls....  

While still breathing the same air of ink signifying where we have come from,  Identity’s Cole Mutahi and The Situation Room’s boss has ink on his left wrist.

‘I wanted something that denotes my incessant emancipation. Everyday is a step for me to be a great person. I appreciate where I’ve been despite its misfits, where I am and definitely have a clue of where I’m going. I’m still pretty uptight showcasing my babies due to the nature of my work so I tend to accessorize just to divert attention from them. I researched for the specific paws I wanted online, printed them and took them with me to my tattoo artiste who did it just the way I wanted it. One paw is slightly ahead of the other. In every sphere of your life, you got to move!’

T.S.R also got to meet Kamal Fitsum, an expatriate Kenyan who works for gain in West Africa. I had an opportunity to visit the parlor where he does his tats at The Yaya centre, Nairobi. When I first approached him on this subject he was pretty intrigued. '...you mean ALL six of them?

I got them over the last 5 years starting with one my left bicep. It’s just an abstract tribal design. It was followed by the abstract Tiger (with some color) on the right bicep, since then I was hooked! I did both my fore arms and calf (the rear region of the leg before the ankle) on the same day, guess I could take the 'pain'...

What they mean to me? Hmm, to be frank I have loved body art since I was young. Maybe I’d say I wanted to titivate my body. However I just saw the tattoos in the albums and chose them. I love abstract tribal art and thus chose these.’

  

Other notable men and their ink

Identity Kenya and Identity Magazine’s founder and Editor in chief Denis Nzioka was also questioned on ink. ‘I have like three of them and will soon be getting a fourth one…One of them is on my left bicep and for the rest I really need an extra pair of hands inorder to share with you samples of the same.' He opines.

 

Eric Gitari a human rights enthusiast and one of the most highly regarded brains in the zega circles and a friend to T.S.R also loves his ink. ‘I will strip and snap away tonight.’ He promised. By the time T.S.R was going live we didn’t have sufficient ink snapshots so I guess that was a rain check considering he’s out of jurisdiction on a visibly demanding schedule.

 

Regards,

Cole Mutahi.