Tunisian tattoo artist revives Berber designs for new generation

KAIROUAN, Tunisia, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Tunisian tattoo artist Manel Mahdouani is reviving conventional Berber designs that had lengthy been thought-about retro however are actually gaining in recognition amongst a hip new technology.

Few Tunisians now converse the Berber languages extra generally present in Algeria and Morocco, and outward indicators of Berber cultural id are sometimes relegated to motifs discovered on the handicrafts mass-produced for vacationers.

Amongst Tunisians, they have been seen as symbols of an impoverished previous however some youthful folks are actually changing into occupied with their Berber roots and switch to Mahdouani, 35, to attach them to it with tattoos.

“Each image and tattoo has a that means,” mentioned Loula, who had had a sequence of darkish blue dots tattooed throughout her higher chest. She mentioned she prized the best way every marking signified part of a lady’s tribal or household id.

“It means a lady’s historical past is written on her. It is like a Fb wall and that is my wall,” she mentioned, asking to not give her household title.

As tattoos took off all over the world, some youthful Tunisians took up the pattern, however with out wanting again at their very own custom of physique artwork.

Mahdouani mentioned many Tunisians had grown to see Berber tattoos as low class or disreputable. “Individuals used to say it was backwards,” she mentioned.

“I wished to alter this concept. Simply as there are Maori and different tribal tattoos recognized all all over the world, we should always take pleasure too in a convention going again 6,000 years in Tunisia,” she mentioned.

Mahdouani has researched the standard “tekaz” custom of Berber tattoos, gathering designs and studying in regards to the customized of utilizing physique artwork to chase away illness or dangerous luck by explicit symbols on completely different elements of the physique.

In a village exterior the central metropolis of Kairouan, Mahdouani quizzed Seiada Issaoui, an aged girl with ink marks on her brow, cheeks, nostril and chin, in regards to the prevalence of tattoos when she was younger.

“Everybody was tattooed. On their legs, arms and chests as properly,” Issaoui mentioned.

Later, Mahdouani rigorously copied down Issaoui’s designs.

“My aim is to let the youth know that that is a part of their civilisation, their nation and their historical past and even when they do not need it themselves they are going to a minimum of know what it means once they see it on a lady on the street,” she mentioned.

Reporting by Jihed Abidellaoui; writing by Angus McDowall; enhancing by Philippa Fletcher

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