Growing up in Artang ward, Mokokchung Town, Chuba Imchen of Longkhum Village started tattooing as a hobby by getting into the trend of “hand poke tattoos”. Later, nurturing his interest and skills in art, painting and drawing, along with the right kind of support from his friends, he went on to make a tattoo machine by himself. And as he realized how things were getting a little serious even with his handmade machine, he started purchasing the machines and equipment he needed and embraced tattooing as a full-blown professional career.
Now, after having completed eight years as a tattooist in his own home based studio, Chuba shares his journey in an exclusive conversation with Mokokchung Times.
MT: Hey, Chuba, we acknowledge you being here. So, your tattoos have great detailing and a lot of creativity is visible. Did you happen to undergo any training for tattooing art?
Chuba: Thank you Mokokchung Times for giving me this great opportunity to share my journey. Well, I have never been anybody’s apprentice neither got the opportunity to undergo any formal training for tattooing. I taught myself to build and use a hand-made machine and slowly upgraded to a standard machine.
MT: You have been in this business for 8 years and more; tell us about how you first got involved with it, the experiences and the challenges you had to deal with.
Chuba: It was more of a trend to get a tattoo (hand poke) back in the days and since I was always enthusiastic about drawing and painting and art in general, the thoughts of tattooing always played its tune in my head and most of my friends always encouraged me to give it a try. I initially started with hand poke tattoos and made my own hand made machine and when things started to get little serious, I bought my own machine and started my journey.
Over the years, through my experience I’ve learnt a lot of things which I have never imagined. Meeting new Artists from different places and sharing our knowledge together is some of those. During all these times, being able to give people their dream tattoos and seeing the end result has been the experience of a lifetime and I hope to continue to do for more years to come.
The most difficult obstacle I face is the lack of resources in Mokokchung or even in Nagaland. We have zero stores that sell tattooing equipment so every time I run out of something and I’m not prepared. I either have to order it from stores in Delhi or Mumbai and wait for at least a couple of weeks for it to arrive which somehow is not very encouraging.
MT: According to you, how long does it take for someone to become a full Tattoo Artist? What are some of the helpful tips you’d love to share for the beginners?
Chuba: In my opinion, it depends upon an individual’s dedication and hard work. I’ve seen people improve themselves to become proper artists in less than a year while some struggle in the same level for many years. Having an art background before joining tattooing definitely helps but being open minded about learning from others and absorbent about the mechanism of different machines and the overall structure of executing your style is much more important. It’s never about who has the best tools but who understands their tools better. Make sure that you always do your best, always keep learning, respect the trade and eventually your hard work will pay off.
MT: Are Hand-Poked Tattoos less abrasive than Machine Tattoos?
Chuba: Again, this subject is very subjective to different individuals. Every method has its own cult following. Yes, maybe in our society hand-poke tattoos aren’t that popular because of the stigma that hand poke tattoos aren’t as good as machine made but in the hands of the right artist, hand-poked tattoos are as beautiful as they come.
MT: How have been your client responses so far?
Chuba: Till date I’ve received a lot of positive comments and has been showered with more love than I deserve but I know that I still have a long way to go and always have room to learn more and improve.
MT: Do you think Tattoo Artist in Nagaland can take this up as a career?
Chuba: In today’s age and time, I believe any profession can be done full time if your dedication is right and your vision towards your goal is clear. There is an audience for everything today and with the right exposure and quality work, one can achieve greatness in their field of work.
MT: How do you see yourself in the next five or ten years?Chuba: I’d like to improve more on my style and make my statement into this genre; I want to be remembered for my art form and my style and for staying true to myself. I want people to see my work and say, “Oh, Chuba did this” and not just look at it like it’s just another tattoo.
MT: A few words for our Readers.
Chuba: Be passionate about what you do, be original in what you do and never drift away from your goals.