Tattooist Emmanuel Uchenna Item Urges Africans to Embrace Their Identity Through Tattoos
Body artwork has constantly been quite a bit bigger than decoration. Assorted cultures told tales with them, inclined them as a make of belonging, identity, and survival. For Emmanuel Uchenna Item, a 30-yr-outdated Austrian-Nigerian tattoo artist, tattoos are a capacity to bridge worlds. His work attracts heavily from West African heritage, in particular the passe script of Nsibidi or Uli and diversified tribal symbols, reimagining them in up-to-the-minute kinds.
Born and raised in Vienna to an Austrian mother and a Nigerian father from Afikpo, Ebonyi Disclose, Item spent nearly about ten years in Berlin earlier than returning to his ancestral residence in 2024. By his tattoo artwork, he no longer simplest reconnects alongside with his Igbo heritage however moreover offers Africans and these in the diaspora a extremely effective, permanent design to wear their culture with pleasure
On this interview, Emmanuel talks to us about his roots, the evolution of his artwork, and the legacy he hopes to head away.
Emmanuel Uchenna Item
Hi Emmanuel, how are you at this time?
In fact exact. Thanks for having me.
Awesome! To originate up, repeat us who Emmanuel Uchenna Item is previous the tattoo machine
I am a 30-yr-outdated creative born and raised in Vienna. My mom is Austrian from Vienna, my dad Nigerian from Afikpo, Ebonyi Disclose. I lived in Berlin, Germany for just about 8 years in total and moved support to my hometown final August 2024. I hotfoot rather in most cases to explore diversified cultures and obtain impressed.
Your work blends tattoo artwork with African heritage. How did you peek that this was the direction you desired to grab?
Mainly attributable to my obtain route of of reconnecting with my Igbo-aspect. I haven’t been to Nigeria for numerous years, so few years up to now when my father remarried in the village, I started to return there and since then, I’m going yearly for several months.
For the time being, I’d started to tattoo. So when I was in Nigeria, I regarded for any inviting visuals that can maybe maybe maybe also inspire my work. One more predominant aspect was one amongst my mentors, Roberto (@pantarei), who is moreover a tattooist and taught me the total lot about tribal tattooing that I know now. He pushed me and motivated me to explore West African tribal tattooing.
That’s improbable. Nsibidi or Uli and diversified outdated symbols are affluent in ancient previous. How effect you design weaving these sacred designs into popular beauty and vogue?
In the initiating, I care for my work and each and each segment of that with appreciate. I have faith relating to the blueprint of all people enthusiastic is amazingly crucial to honour the previous of our forefathers.
In my work, I in most cases grab the foundation of, let’s mutter Nsibidi or Uli, and make something contemporary in a up-to-the-minute context of most up-to-date tattooing. It’s crucial to realize that I effect no longer replicate the usual follow; however rather a contemporary creative design to specific an idea.
Increasing up in Vienna and now working in Berlin, you’ve lived on the intersection of cultures. How has this formed your sense of identity and the style you’re making?
As talked about earlier, I left Berlin final summer time. I wager Germany and Austria are rather same in cultural aspects. Berlin was indubitably a surely fertile foundation to learn and grow into the artist I am now. Being away from Vienna and now being in my hometown and touring all the absolute most sensible draw thru the area made me love the set I grew up out of the ordinary extra.
It’s relish I occupy left to learn and take a look at and now I came support to unpack my recordsdata and abilities at my residence.
Emmanuel Uchenna Item
Tattooing may maybe maybe maybe also moreover be such an emotional route of. Can you allotment a memorable myth of a shopper who felt transformed by carrying your artwork on their pores and skin?
I occupy these days tattooed a one who purchased stabbed in his residence in Abuja, when robbers tried to acquire a abet of his daughter. Due to, clearly, he did now not let it happen, they stabbed him several cases in his support and belly. He lived decades with it, however these days decided to acquire tattooed by me.
The premise was to shroud the leftover scars with scarification-alike marks, formed in a particular patterns on his support. We then moreover added some Nsibidi sigils to it.
That’s this kind of profound design to abet a extremely sturdy myth
Certainly, it is.
Searching forward, what impact effect you hope your African-impressed tattoo circulate may maybe maybe occupy, no longer just exact within the diaspora, however on how the wider world views beauty, culture, and self-expression?
Truthfully? I am hoping all people will scrutinize Africa as a predominant player in the popular tattoo world. As so many different areas, the tattoo change is one where darkish skinned other folks are no longer properly represented for no reason.
I am hoping, at the birth, that extra artists of any pores and skin colour will tattoo extra black pores and skin in popular, so thru that, black customers will feel extra relaxed to head and obtain tattooed. Then, moreover, I am hoping that the tattoo culture in Africa will upward push and other folks won’t scrutinize it as something obnoxious to toughen your body.
There needs to be a elevated frequency between Africa and the diversified continents to replace insights, quality standards and abilities. Ideally, my vision may maybe maybe maybe be to head away a legacy where anyone all the absolute most sensible draw thru the area can recognise African tribal tattoos as an artwork make and tattoo style.
