“Most people get tattoos out of activism”
Le Vif Weekend met Zazou, an artist from the Rêves Lucides salon, in a magnificent mansion in Liège, where he tattooed almost 100 times “I believe in you”, the slogan of the feminist movement condemning sexist and sexual violence. and Liege. The interview.
Artist Zazou explains to us that they* always have taken before the tattoo. Before swapping the pencil for the needle, iel* was an art choice during his secondary education and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Liege. This passion for art – in all forms – Zazou hasn’t left him since he confessed: “I love tattooing as much as I love painting. I like to try everything! »
Also read | A real tattoo that soon disappears after a year?
After the first tattoos in his basement, the artist has been living there for several days Lucid Dreams salon in Liege to turn his passion into his main activity, even if it was born alongside other projects.
If he has several completed projects on his Instagram page, we can see several publications with a significant number “I believe in you” tattoos90 people in total.
View the content
Where did you get the idea to get so many “I believe in you” tattoos?
Someone came and asked me for this tattoo. I accepted the project because I love typography and the sentence spoke to me. I then posted a photo of the tattoo on my Instagram page. One of my friends who is a member of the collective (Le Bastion des Sorcières) was also interested in doing this. So I asked the first person if it was okay for me to do it again. He was enthusiastic about the idea. Then my friend told me it might be of interest to a few people. And finally, I tattooed 10 people on the same day with this slogan.
I then published 10 tattoos in the same publication and it had some massive impact. I said if others are interested they can contact me. I intend to keep this tattoo in my portfolio forever.
More and more people are interested and I think I’ve given 90 people “I believe in you” tattoos.
Also read | Face tattoo, the new fashion popularized by rappers (in pictures)
Do all those who come to get “I believe in you” tattoos belong to the feminist movement, or do they consider themselves allies of the struggle?
I don’t know all who came or their story. But I get the impression that most people get tattoos out of activism. For some people, “I believe in you” means more than just fighting sexism and sexual violence. I’m thinking, for example, of people who have trouble legitimizing certain emotions and who decide to get this tattoo to legitimize the words of people whose words can be questioned.
If I can tattoo, make art, do something I love and be active at the same time, that’s the best combination for me. I adore !
Zazu
Are you investing in movement?
I also got a “I believe in you” tattoo to fight sexism and sexual violence. On the other hand, I do not invest in a movement or a collective, but I concentrate around these movements. I’m a sensitive person who takes things too seriously, so I can’t invest in myself personally. There are teams in Liège that I adore The night is ours. Not wanting to interfere with the field, I painted a canvas that I exhibited for them. The “I believe in you” tattoos follow that dynamic, and while I don’t consider myself an activist, I am militant on my own scale and I think it’s a powerful movement.
View the content
Planning to create pieces to duplicate?
Not necessarily. I had a guy come in to get a “Rise, Break” tattoo, and I know there’s another guy who wants the same thing, so I’m going to get the same tattoo. But it depends on the demand. Otherwise, I don’t have any other projects in this genre. I remain open to suggestions.
Also read | Tattoo: 8 Designs Tattoo Artists Don’t Want To Hear Anymore
Even in flashes?
In my flashbacks, from time to time, committed and militant topics may come up. I like. But sometimes the flashes I suggest don’t work.
On the other hand, I have my favorite tattoos.
they*
Zazou hints about it on his Instagram page what (de)gender is the pronoun (iel/they). and explains: “Using the pronoun Iel is a bit of a combative approach because the gender binary has often failed me in my personal life. I have suffered and still suffer from sexism. » Faced with hatred and irritation, his reaction was to distance himself from it: “I neither he nor he. Neither of the two.” However, the artist conforms by adding: “I’m adapting to the environment I’m in because it’s not well received everywhere yet. I don’t always want to argue. » And to conclude: “A lot of people use the pronoun ‘she’ because I have a more feminine gender expression. And I’m not worried”.
