Oriental Tattoo Art 65443

The place of tattoos in the cultural milieu of China and Japan today parallels their standing in society in the West in many ways; associations with gangs, outlaws and "degenerate" subcultures are commonly held perceptions. It is, however, the differences which fascinate and illuminate. Oriental Tattoo Art explores how traditions going back thousands of years have directly informed the development of the prevailing aesthetics in the East. Twenty contemporary artists from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan talk about their understanding of and practice within the tattoo realm and their finished masterpieces feature prominently.