Olivia Jasinski, tattoo performance, artist on the right with guests, courtesy of the artist 2017.
Born near Cologne, Germany, lives and works in Berlin, Germany
Tattoo performance 2017
Courtesy of the artist
Born and raised near Cologne Germany, the artist Olivia Jasinski, is based in the capital city of Berlin (Germany). In 2010, she undertook a degree program in Fine Arts (Painting) at the UDK Berlin under Professor Valerie Favre and graduated in 2016.
Prior to graduation, she applied for an exchange to New York City for one semester of studies at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. After the exchange, she was inspired to develop her own unique style of traditional tattooing, a process done by hand without the use of a machine. It was the emancipation of a passion that had always been within her, but had not been explored. It was an exposé to deeply understanding trust and the connection between human beings and energies. Her work focuses on bringing joy and beauty directly to the inner soul of a person. The skill of tattooing came naturally, first with her tattooing herself and understanding skin and nerve impulses, textures and then on friends, later expanding to friends of friends. This experience of connection, trust and soulful work became a prominent part of her life which complemented her other artistic works.
In collaboration with an artist Kirikoo Des, she invented a unique tattoo performance based on the handpoke rhythm utilising his technological skills as an electronic Music Producer. They performed in Berlin and Paris showing abstract electronic sound connected to the needle which created a unique sound of a connecting circulation of their work. Olivia continued working and performing at the Art Open Studios in Berlin, New York and the Feel Festival in Germany. Her style of tattooing is like a ritualistic and meditative process that fascinates and enchants people who sooner or later would want to be part of the experience.
Olivia envisions tattooing to being more than just a service or decorative ink on the skin. She believes that being part of a tattoo performance means participating in a unique session, created in a moment where the participants, their creativity, energies, life stories and experiences are relived. It is a special encounter where a decision is made, not just as a representation of a design of ink on skin for a lifetime, but also where everything comes naturally together to create a connection between two human beings with a string of emotions such as excitement, slight pain and ultimately joy at the end of the experience.
As the tattoo scene in Germany and particularly in Berlin is steadily advancing, Olivia finds it interesting and a bit of challenge to bring this art of tattooing to Lagos and share the tattoo performance with the visitors of the Biennial, in order to explore a never previously visited continent, whose people, culture and stories have not been heard or seen by her and translating these experiences into designs, using the skin of the participant as the canvas on which the art form is expressed.
