Sep 7th, 2017, 02:27 PM

Tattoos of AUP: Volume IV

By Elizabeth Nguyen Son
Image Credit: Liz Nguyen Son
"My mother's name is already carved inside my heart, and I wanted it to be on the outside too."

Name: Anabel Bachour
Age: 21
Country: France/Syria
Number of tattoos: 1

"My tattoo is my mother's name in Arabic. It is located on my chest, the left side, above the heart. I got my mother's name tattooed on me because she is the most important person in my life. And I know everybody adores their mother... But I don't think you could ever find someone that has the same connection and relationship that my mama and I have—at least I haven't. Plus, if it wasn't for my mother, I wouldn't be where I am today: I, for sure, wouldn't be at AUP and I wouldn't be happy, successful, and satisfied with where I stand. I got this tattoo this summer, in August, right before I came back to France, and I got it in Syria. I thought of doing it in France, but it's an Arabic name and I wasn't sure they would do the design the way I wanted them to. Also, the prices here are ridiculously high!"

Image Credit: Anabel Bachour

"I haven't actually thought of getting another tattoo. I am open to it though. If I ever decide to do it, I'd like it to be on the side of my body (like the waist area) or behind my ear. But I don't think I will because I am more of a piercing person. I only got this tattoo because my mother's name is already carved inside my heart, and I wanted it to be on the outside too."


Image Credit: Anabel Bachour

Name: Quentin Palasti
Age: 20
Country: France
Number of tattoos: 1

"I decided to get my tattoo two weeks ago while I was in Bali. Firstly, the message I want my tattoo to show is my ability to be resourceful, like a bear. Wherever I go, whether I'm in an unknown area or experiencing a problem, I’ll manage to do everything on my own. It may take more time, but I will always find a way to achieve what I need to by myself. A bear, to me, is a beautiful animal, known to be nice and calm however if he thinks you’re a danger or you’re threatening him, he will show you a different side of him.  As a bear, I can be very kind and will do anything for people who are close to me however if you cross me or hurt people I am close to, I will do anything I can to protect them."


Image Credit: Elizabeth Nguyen Son

"I added a crown on the bear for additional meaning. The crown represents power, prestige, and supremacy, which to me, a bear possesses all three qualities. The bear has power in his physical strength and behavior. It is a prestigious animal, having status and respect and lastly, is a dominant, authoritative animal. My tattoo for me reminds me that every day I can be put into any situation and survive. It reminds me to always protect those I’m close to and reminds me to stay humble, dream big and to be respectful, in order to receive it too. I do plan on getting more tattoos, I just don't know what of. Another one on my left arm and maybe then one on my right arm so that it evens out a little."


Image Credit: Elizabeth Nguyen Son

Name: Lucas Yammine
Age: 22
Country: France/United States
Number of tattoos: 2

"Both of my tattoos are on my right forearm. The first one is a Cedar tree and the other is a quill in a bottle of ink, sitting on a film reel. I like the art of tattoos and tattoos are symbolic to me so I decided to combine the symbolism and the art form to create art on my body. The tree represents my father's heritage and the other represents my mother's family in general."

Image Credit: Elizabeth Nguyen Son

"The tree is the symbol of Lebanon. Lebanon is not a country I've really been educated on... I don't know how to speak Arabic and I don't go there very often; I go there once every five years. But I feel like the Lebanese vibe and culture really clicks with me. I really like the shape of the tree and I think it fits beautifully on my arm. I am very proud that I chose this as my first tattoo. The different branches of leaves are clouded. I can be very anxious and it helps me chill out. I just look at my tattoo and try to remember that there is no reason to freak out. I decided to get tattoos on my body because I've got a lot of anxiety. I don't handle my stress very well. But this is a good way of staying calm. I actually feel that it helps me. It's a visual reminder and representation of calmness and peace."

Image Credit: Elizabeth Nguyen Son

"As for the film reel tattoo... My mom's family is composed of many, many teachers and film directors. More precisely, the design derives from my divorced grandparents: my grandmother was a writer and a French professor, and my grandfather was a movie maker. Thing is... since I was born they've been divorced. My grandfather also died last year. Since I never got to see them as a couple, I decided to link them together in a single tattoo to represent my mom's side of the family."

"I got the tree in Paris and the film reel in LA. I got it the tree at the beginning of January 2017 and the film reel was soon after in May 2017. I wasn't really prepared for a tattoo before this year. It's a lifetime commitment and I was maybe afraid of losing out on job opportunities where employers might be quick to judge you simply based on the fact that you have tattoos."

 

From last week , fun lil original design . #tattoos #latattooartist

A post shared by Andrew Conte (@andrewjconte) on

"I definitely envision having more tattoos; they will probably be related to family again and I have some ideas. I would want them on my arms to create a full sleeve over a span of maybe 10 years. For one, I'd want to do a representation of my father through a lion with a broken nose (because he also broke his nose) on my left arm. It would be an addition to the whole Lebanese heritage I've got going on and they are always related to a natural and reassuring environment. It doesn't really matter where I get future tattoos done so long as there is a bond with the tattoo artist. I need to really trust them. I let the them design the tattoos because I believe it creates a sense of teamwork and harmony, which leads to not only a good tattoo but a memorable experience. I actually still keep in touch with my two tattoo artists. Clicking with the tattoo artist is the most important to me."

If you haven't already read the antecedent articles from this series. You can find them linked below:
Volume I - 
Written by Savannah Hunter, featuring Elizabeth Amiotte, Anna Kressbach, and Emily Frigon
Volume II - Written by Elizabeth Nguyen Son, featuring Camila Villegas, Savannah Hunter, and Rebecca Simor
Volume III - Written by Elizabeth Nguyen Son, featuring Shalise Barnes, Joan Jessiman, and Amelia Harvey