Thailand magical tattoos

Arnold Cedric was on a business trip in Thailand when he first saw a shipyard worker covered in tattoos from head to toe. It was from this moment that Arnold's acquaintance with traditional Yant tattoos began, the history of which has been going on for hundreds of years.

Below is a selection of the brightest and most memorable shots of Arnold's Sacred Ink photo project.

(Total 10 photos)

1. Arnold created the Sacred Ink photo project, devoting 4.5 years of his life to Thailand. The author sought to reveal the tradition of Yant tattooing in its entirety, from the grandiose ceremonies of adherents of the tradition to rare tattoos that can only be found in certain parts of the country.

2. Yant tattoos contain elements of Buddhism, animism, Brahminism and Hinduism. The roots of the tradition go back to the 9th century, and there are even historical records of soldiers whose bodies were covered with tattoos inflicted to protect a person in battle (16th and 17th centuries).

3. It is still believed that Yant tattoos have magical powers. At one time, when this tradition was gaining popularity, tattoos were even considered a symbol of bandits or murderers.

4. Yant gained international attention when Angelina Jolie got 2 tattoos during a trip to Bangkok. Now tourists go there specifically to decorate their bodies. The subculture has attracted a lot of media interest.

5. "I wanted to show something more intimate than just a tattoo" says Arnold. "I chose 25 people and then narrowed down the number of participants to 15, leaving the most interesting personalities. I wanted to know everything about them"

6. While working on the project, he met people for whom Yants have become a way of life. Among them were a boxer, a monk, a construction worker, a policeman, and a taxi driver. He also befriended tattoo artists who let him go behind the scenes of the elaborate ceremonies that are part of the tattooing process.

7. "The ink is traditional Chinese ink, but contains neither ash nor snake venom," explains Arnold. "They have a so-called voodoo mix, sort of like a witch's potion. Although there are really wild rumors about some masters using cadaveric oil obtained from the dead."

8. But it was not so easy to lift the veil of this mysterious tradition. According to Arnold, if you don't have tattoos then people will be very suspicious of you and may not even let you in.

9. Arnold also described the project as an intellectual journey. He has always been interested in superstition and prejudice, and deep immersion in the Yant subculture helped him understand a lot about his role in Thai society, despite the fact that the tradition of applying Yant is becoming a commercial phenomenon.

10. “Yant tattoos are getting more and more popular in the Western tattoo mania. But the spiritual aspect of the practice has not yet been lost in modern society, and Thailand will no doubt preserve it with all its might, preventing the tradition from becoming an empty fashion trend,” writes Arnold.