AWARD WINNING: A close-up of Eric’s work which clinched the title for the Best Backpiece at the 7th Alkmaar Tattoo Convention in the Netherlands. The same design also won Best Front and Back Full/Piece Colour at the International Nepal Tattoo Convention in April this year.
BODY OF WORK: Eric showing photos of a few of the tattoos he has inked over the years.
A STEELY determination to succeed in the face of overwhelming odds propelled Eric Kueh to a first-place victory at the 7th Tattoo Conventie Alkmaar held in the Netherlands on Nov 16 and 17.
It was the first success for the local tattoo artist in a European competition which drew about 100 international tattoo artists this time around.
Eric’s win in the Best Backpiece category comes as vindication for the many years of blood, sweat and tears he has poured into his passion. His award-winning tattoo depicts a scene from the story of Zhong Kui, the Ghost King – popular in Chinese folklore as a protective and benevolent figure.
According to Chinese mythology, Zhong Kui was a scholar who travelled with his friend to take part in imperial examinations in the capital. He achieved top honours but was stripped of this recognition by the emperor because of Zhong Kui’s disfigured appearance.
Disappointed and angry, Zhong Kui committed suicide, thus condemning himself to hell. However, the King of Hell saw his potential and decided to put him in charge of maintaining and enforcing order amongst the ghosts in hell. Later, Zhong Kui returned to Earth to give his sister in marriage to his friend to repay his friend’s good deed of burying his (Zhong Kui’s) body.
Eric who operates his own tattoo studio – 71st Skin Slavery – estimates it took a staggering 90 sessions spread over more than a year to complete the winning piece.
“Each session would last about three to four hours – with about three sessions per week on alternate days. My client is a very tough guy,” the 32-year-old said.
Adversity no barrier
What makes Eric’s achievements even more extraordinary is that he is self-taught. Whatever skills and knowledge he has acquired came mostly through self-study and practice.
His interest in tattoos was first piqued as a 14-year-old secondary school student. With parts taken from a transistor radio, he managed to fashion a rudimentary tattoo gun through trial and error. He then did his first tattoo on himself.
At that time, it was not easy to find information about tattoos from magazines and mainstream media, and he had to rely a lot on the Internet to feed his growing interest. However, when he finished schooling, the pressures of working full time and making ends meet forced him to put tattooing aside.
ART WORK: One of Eric’s pieces which he did for a fellow tattoo artist, depicting a warrior on a horse, incorporating elements of myth and fantasy.
Accidental tattoo artist
But as fate would have it, one of Eric’s friends came to know of his abilities and asked him to do a tattoo. Other friends saw the results and asked him to also tattoo them.
Gradually, what began as favours for friends expanded into something bigger – thanks to word of mouth and referrals from his growing network of clients and fans. Eventually, he left his job to become a full-time tattoo artist.
Four years ago, however, Eric’s hopes and dreams were almost snuffed out by a fire which ravaged his studio. He only managed to salvage his laptop, a camera and some of his tattoo equipment. The blaze set him back around RM80,000.
Some people may look upon the incident as an ill omen but for Eric, there was never any question he would find another way to continue doing what he loves.
While looking for a new place to rebuild his tattoo studio, he worked out of his home. Finally, he settled on the present location at Jalan Padungan where he has been based for the past three years.
Having to start over again from ground zero was very challenging. In addition to writing off the losses from the fire, Eric also had to find funds to rent and renovate the new studio as well to replace equipment, including RM15,000 for the autoclave unit to sterilize tattooing instruments.
He is deeply thankful and grateful for the strong support and encouragement from his clients – many of whom have also become his friends – which helped him get through the worst of that difficult period and back on track.
It was around this time Eric also began taking part in local and regional tattoo competitions. To his delight, his designs and works were well accepted and he managed to place in many of the competitions. To date, he has travelled to 14 conventions in various countries, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Nepal, India and Indonesia to share his craft and also learn from others.
The eye-catching details he puts into each piece speak for themselves. As photos of his works made their way online, they caught the attention of tattoo fans worldwide. He has given interviews to tattoo magazines and websites the world over, including London, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia. His tattoos have also been featured in various coffee table books.
There’s no denying Eric has travelled far through diversity to reach where he is today. He still marvels at the fact that he is living his dream of being a tattoo artist, the possibility of which did not even occur to him when he was still a schoolboy.
Many of Eric’s clients are businesspeople and professionals with steady jobs and incomes, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, and teachers, effectively debunking the outdated perception tattoos are only for gangsters and people of disreputable backgrounds. He estimates he has inked at least 1,000 tattoos in the eight years since starting 71st Skin Slavery.
Eric himself does not conform to the usual image most people have of tattoo artists – heavily tattooed with multiple body piercings. He only has a handful of tattoos on his legs which he did himself.
“Actually, I don’t like the pain,” he said, laughing when asked why. “But maybe I will have some more done in future.”
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION: Eric showing some of the awards he has won from various competitions.
Brains and brawn required
Tattooing is not just a creative art but also a physically demanding one. Eric has done tattoo sessions, lasting 12 to 13 hours in a single sitting.
“It’s tough but sometimes it cannot be helped – like when the client such as a tourist is only in Kuching for a limited time. It also happens during conventions where once you start on a tattoo, you must finish it,” he shared.
How long a session lasts generally depends on the size and intricacy of the design and how much pain the client is able to tolerate although it is advisable to keep sessions shorter to ensure both client and tattoo artist are physically and mentally at their best.
Eric draws inspirations for his unique designs from his surroundings and experiences. He credits the Internet, other tattoo artist friends he met online and at conventions as well other forms of art for fuelling his creativity.
The décor of his current studio reflects his tattoo style – a tasteful, pleasing combination of traditional Sarawakian, oriental and modern design elements which only invites people to take a closer look to appreciate the fine details and careful thoughts which have been put into it.
His collections of traditional Sarawakian crafts and antiques are displayed next to pictures of tattoos he has inked, a glass display case holding the various awards he has won as well as oil paintings and fantasy-based sculptures he has made himself.
“Usually it doesn’t take me very long to design something. Once inspiration hits, I can finish it very quickly,” Eric said, adding that he is also inspired by traditional Sarawak designs.
In addition to custom tattoos, he also provides laser tattoo removal services.
71st Skin Slavery is located at No. 75, Jalan Padungan (opposite Everrise Supermarket). Business hours are from 12 noon till 6pm from Monday to Saturday while Sunday is by appointment only.