Re-inking the Ilonggo psyche

Tattoo artist Poloy Gerona

(This article was published in Panay News Sunday Edition, March 20, 2011)

“It’s all about the pain.”                                                        

 

And so goes the motto that runs on the storefront of Macabre Tattoo in the 3rd Floor of Mary Mart Mall, Iloilo City, owned and operated by Norman “Poloy” Gerona, tattoo artist and president of the Iloilo Tattoo Artists Organization (ITAO).

 And this, perhaps, is also the appropriate motto for what Poloy, as what he prefers to be called, and the tattoo artists and enthusiasts of Iloilo, with ITAO, wishes to achieve – to reverse the perception that most Ilonggos have towards tattoos and getting one.

“Kalabanan nga mga Ilonggo, panumduman nila kung pintados ka, adik ka," (Most Ilonggos think that if you are inked, you’re a drug addict,) Poloy says, “but then, we are not. Tattoo is a form of art."

Poloy himself is shaven, pale, and despite his job description, is not (yet) covered from head to toe with tattoos.  The most notable tattoos that Poloy has are the pieces on his chest – on his right, a portrait of his wife Venice, and on the left, that of the Lord Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns. 

Here in Iloilo, tattooing doesn't get much of a following compared to the US or even just Cebu or Metro Manila. That's why he was thankful when he got the invitation from artist Lester Amacio of Ilonggo Art to stage a tattoo expo on March 10, Thursday.

“First time ini nga nagka Tattoo Expo diri sa Iloilo,” Poloy says, “Kag hopefully, mangin paagi man ini nga ma-familiarize ang mga Ilonggo sa tattoo art.” He says that there are still many of the old-fashioned lot in the city, even with the artist community. This Expo, as Poloy sees it, would be a big step for the tattoo industry to be accepted, if not yet embraced.

"Ang tattoo, waay delikado," the 35-year old artist explains when asked about the popular notion that one can get diseases through tattooing, "kay of course, tanan na ya nga ginagamit disposable --from needles to wipes."

"Halin sang-una gid na ya, gina-try ko gid engganyo ang mga tawo," he further says, stressing that people should be educated that tattooing is simply an art form, only that in this case, the canvas is the human skin.

Asked how he found himself in this kind of enterprise, Poloy explains that it simply started as a hobby back in 1991.

"Kay halin sang-una pa ya hilig ko na gid mag-drawing," he explains. He says that the first tattoo he put on himself is that of the logo of the biking brand Fox on his left hand, owing as well to his other hobby. In a show of sentimentality from somebody who has demon images on his arms, Poloy says he has covered up all the other older tattoos he's had, but he'll be keeping this one.

“It was just a sort of backyard thing,” he says, “we were in CPU then.” And as, they say, the rest is history. Right now, Macabre Tattoo has been gaining customers since he first started the business in 2008.

The Tattoo Expo, attended by tattoo artists from the city, as well as invited guests from Bacolod City and Boracay, is a day-long event that featured a tattoo competition for two categories - small and big tattoo designs.

Asked if they apply some sort of local anesthesia if customers would request it, Poloy only smiles and says, "It's all about the pain, gani."