A 106-Year-Old Tattoo Artist From Philippines Becomes Vogue's Oldest-Ever Cover Star
Apo Whang-Od, a 106-year-old traditional tattoo artist, has been revealed as the cover star for Vogue Philippines' April 2023 issue. She will be the oldest person to grace the cover of Vogue.
106-year-old Apo Whang-Od became the oldest person to appear on the cover of the fashion magazine Vogue's April issue in the Philippines. The centenarian, also known as Maria Oggay, has been tattooing people's skin by hand since she was a teenager, a skill she learned from her father.
Whang-Od is the country's oldest mambabatok, or traditional Kalinga tattooist, and lives in the remote mountain village of Buscalan in Kalinga province, about 15 hours north of Manila.
"As the first and only female mambabatok of her time, Whang-Od would travel to distant and neighbouring villages, summoned by host communities to imprint the sacred symbols of their ancestors on individuals who had crossed or were about to cross a threshold in their lives," according to the magazine.
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About Apo Whang-Od:
The heavily tattooed artist cuts a striking figure with soft eyes and weathered hands, carrying local traditions safely into the twenty-first century. Apo Whang-od, who grew up in the mountainous village of Buscalan in the Philippines' Kalinga province, began learning the indigenous tradition of hand-tapping tattoos as a teenager.
Whang-Od, a cultural icon in her own right, is thought to be the oldest, and possibly the last, mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattoo artist).
Tattoos were once reserved for warriors from the Butbut tribe and had high cultural significance. Whang-Od now primarily works with international visitors who make the long journey to Kalinga to see her famous geometric designs. She believes that as long as people come to get tattoos, the tradition will continue.
Apo Whang-Od told CNN Travel about the importance of preserving Kalinga tattoo artistry processes "I'm the only one left alive who still tattoos. But I'm not worried about the tradition dying because I'm training the next generation of tattoo artists."
She has been teaching her grandnieces Elyang Wigan and Grace Palicas how to make tattoos out of bamboo sticks, thorns from pomelo trees, water, and coal for several years. The art can only be passed down through blood relatives, and Whang-od is training the next generation in the same way that her father trained her.
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