This 103-year-old tattooist from the Philippines is keeping an ancient tradition alive
- 4 years ago
Meet Whang-od, the 103-year-old tattooist that is keeping an ancient Filipino tradition alive.
Whang-od is commonly described as the "last" and oldest mambabatok or tattooist and is part of the Butbut people. She performs a 1,000-year tradition of batok, a technique where a thorn, fastened to a stick, is dipped in ink and quickly tapped into the skin using a wooden mallet.
In footage recorded in February 2019, YouTuber Jack Shirley and his wife Louise travelled from their home in Hong Kong to a province area in the mountainous northern Philippines, where they meet this tattoo-covered, renowned artist.
Jack told Newsflare: "My wife, Louise, and her sister got a tattoo from Whang-od - The Last Mambabatok in Buscalan, hidden far away in the highlands of northern Philippines. It was well worth the journey for the experience of meeting this wonderful lady and having her perform her art on the sisters."
Whang-od is commonly described as the "last" and oldest mambabatok or tattooist and is part of the Butbut people. She performs a 1,000-year tradition of batok, a technique where a thorn, fastened to a stick, is dipped in ink and quickly tapped into the skin using a wooden mallet.
In footage recorded in February 2019, YouTuber Jack Shirley and his wife Louise travelled from their home in Hong Kong to a province area in the mountainous northern Philippines, where they meet this tattoo-covered, renowned artist.
Jack told Newsflare: "My wife, Louise, and her sister got a tattoo from Whang-od - The Last Mambabatok in Buscalan, hidden far away in the highlands of northern Philippines. It was well worth the journey for the experience of meeting this wonderful lady and having her perform her art on the sisters."