Umbrella, goggles, flag: tattoos use symbols of Hong Kong protest as permanent reminder of defiance, passion and pride
- Scores of Hongkongers have been tattooed with symbols of this summer’s protests. It’s to show support and passion for their home, say tattooists and clients
- Designs include items protesters wear and carry, bauhinia flowers to symbolise the city, and a clever use of Chinese characters with a double meaning
As the high-pitched buzzing subsides, tattooist David Zuleta puts down the tattoo gun and leans in to inspect his handiwork. An elegant flower blooms next to harsh red and black lines on his client’s inner elbow.
Although the piece is striking, at first glance nothing too political leaps out. Look closer, and subtle details emerge: a tiny inked gas mask; silhouetted figures holding banners; a lone man facing down a tank.
For Sage Victor, the tattoo’s recipient, identified only by his first and middle names, going under the needle at Inked Stories Tattoo studio this month was a way to preserve the memory of the intense feeling of solidarity he has experienced during the protests in Hong Kong sparked by proposed changes to extradition law and stoked by the forceful police response.
The 19-year-old restaurant server isn’t the only Hongkonger to have chosen to show their support for the cause by getting tattooed. Originally from Los Angeles, Sage moved to Hong Kong with his parents six years ago and says that participating in both the Occupy Hong Kong protests in 2014 and the current demonstrations have made him feel closer to his adopted home.
He says the tattoo, his first, is, “a way for me to remember the struggles Hong Kong has had and the fight it is still going through … I wanted something to remember that passion and drive all these people have for this one place.
“It represents the idea of never forgetting to fight for what you believe in, as well as the love and pride people have for a city they may not even have been born in.”