12:13,
GYUMRI, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. Tattoo art is becoming more and more popular in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city.
Local tattoo artists say that the attitude of the once conservative Gyumri is changing towards the art. For some it is a form of self-_expression_, a symbol and meaning, while others do it just for the cool looks.
Tattoos are mainly popular among young people, and in Gyumri getting a tattoo is becoming increasingly popular mostly among women.
According to tattoo artists working in the city, most of their men customers prefer big images while women like mini tattoos.
Meline, an 18-year-old woman from Gyumri, says tattoos have deep meaning and symbolism for her. She says she got her first tattoo “out of revenge” – an image of a snake, and then a bigger one on her back. Now she has tattoos on her arms also. However, Meline admits that now she wants to remove the first one. “I wanted to get tattoos since I was a kid. This isn’t all, I want more on my beck and legs. I have many friends who have tattoos,” Meline said, adding that she wants to become a tattoo artist.
Unlike the heavily tattooed Meline, 22-year-old Gayane has two little tattoos on her arms. “The angel wings are in memory of my late mother”, Gayane said. “She is an angel for me. And the little star is the symbol of my future children. If I have a daughter I will name her Astghik [Star], and Areg [Sun] if it is a boy.”
Asked about how her family reacted to her tattoos, Gayane said even her grandfather responded normally. “Even my granddad normally accepted this, especially knowing what this means for me. It seems like after getting the tattoo something changed inside of me, the longing somehow alleviated. Believe me, I overcame some serious mental obstacle and the inner pain left me,” Gayane said.
Men mostly prefer tattoos on their arms, while women like tattoos on legs and near the ribs.
Lena Martirosyan is a tattoo artist working in Gyumri. She says she has customers from all across the country, and even abroad. Now, she says that locals are also increasingly beginning to get tattoos. “Not only young women, but also women above the age of 50 are coming here. Many women want their tattoo to be done by a woman artist,” Martirosyan said, adding that in most cases the tattoo which people get is the current state of mind they are in.
Martirosyan herself doesn’t have any tattoos though. "Perhaps I see it all the time that's why I don't want to get it myself."
Armenuhi Mkhoyan