MEMORIES became just as permanent as the tattoo itself when inked into your skin.
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That was the belief Dungog father of three Jeremy Papamau had about tattoos as he proudly showed the Chronicle his body art and described what the symbols permanently inked in his skin meant to him.
The phoenix which covers the 24-year-old Samoan’s back, with carpe diem written across the top, was symbolic of his battle with testicular cancer at the age of 17.
“At the time that Miami Ink show was all over Foxtel,” he said.
“I watched a heap of Foxtel in hospital.
“A lot of the people on that show got a tattoo about their trials and tribulations, the things they went through.
“I got out of hospital and had an idea what I wanted.”
The phoenix was the first, which was followed by a full right-arm sleeve.
All of Mr Papamau’s tattoos bar the “home job” across his stomach which spells out his last name were done by a friend at Crossroads Tattoo Studio at Glendale.
He estimated spending 46 hours in the studio getting tattooed and about $4000.
The sleeve was filled with symbols and characters that were representative of the influencing force in Mr Papamau’s life, such as religion.
The largely black and grey sleeve featured rosary beads, a characterisation of the devil as well as the three monkeys’ and the all-seeing eye.
“The all-seeing eye was for a bit of wisdom,” he said.
“I may have gotten a bit wiser in my older years.”
Tattoos were a big part of Mr Papamau’s life.
His father and other family members had traditional Samoan tattoos, and many of his friends also had a tattoo or two.
Mr Papamau said he had no traditional tattoos as his father, who has a face tattoo, said he was not “allowed to” unless he went to Samoa to do so.
While he did not have plans to travel to Samoa anytime soon, Mr Papamau said his aim was to get more tattoos.
“I reckon everyone should have a tattoo,’’ he said.
“Every tattoo has a meaning.
“Sometimes a memory behind it or why you got it becomes as permanent as a tattoo.”
The Hunter loves tattoos and it is time the clear skins stepped aside, we want to see a bit of tattoo pride.
Show us your tatts! Send in photographs of your tattoos, we want to know why you got them. Some tattoos tell a story and some are just the remnants of a good time, either way, we want to see them.
Post them to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the #HunterInk
Or email your photographs to jessica.brown@fairfaxmedia.com.au and we will add your story to our Hunter Ink gallery.
