GREVIC ALVARADO
The Trinidad and TobagoTattoo Fest returns this weekend to the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, after four years.
Some 80 artists from 40 different studios will show their art on Saturday and Sunday from 1-11 pm.
Organiser Dominic Jaglal told Newsday local and international artists will come together to show off their different styles.
[caption id="attachment_1019166" align="alignnone" width="765"] Freidel Velasquez was one of the winners of the best portrait in the last TT Tattoo Fest and will try to repeat the award this year. -[/caption]
“This year the expectations are higher. It has been four years without holding the festival due to the covid19 pandemic, and in which we have made great advances in logistics and artistic matters,” he said.
This will be the fifth Tattoo Fest. This year artists from Venezuela, Cuba, St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent, Curaçao, the UK, the US and a large number of local artists will participate.
“We will show the community the equipment used by the artists and the entire process before, during and after the art.
[caption id="attachment_1019168" align="alignnone" width="683"] Kerwin Figaro during the last Tattoo Fest. -[/caption]
"It's not just about tattooing, it's an art festival, and that's why this year we have the support of various sponsors who believe in talent.”
Jaglal said the goal is to market tattooing and introduce artists to the community and showcase talent and styles so customers can have different visions of tattoos and what they like.
“There are very good vibes around the festival. They are mostly men, but we will have between five to ten female artists who are rising. We will have music, food sales, fashion, games among other activities so visitors have entertainment during the two days."
The Tattoo Fest will show the progress and growth of TT studios and teamwork between local and international artists.
[caption id="attachment_1019169" align="alignnone" width="762"] Dominic Jaglal organiser of the TT Tattoo Fest presents one of the awards to Ernest Romero as the winner of the best portrait in the last Tattoo Fest. -[/caption]
One of the studios is Warao Ink, a brand that has been making its way in TT since 2019, when Ernest Romero, the director, came here from Venezuela and began to expand his talent.
Romero came as a guest of the Ink Overdose studio in 2017 and met someone who is now one of his partners, Chad Edwards.
“He was my client, we became friends, and we decided to open a studio with a different concept from how we perceived them at that time. We wanted a professional studio, not a store with more complete service dedicated to the client and we did it," said Romero.
Warao Ink opened its doors four years ago with a chair and tattoo stretcher (bed).
[caption id="attachment_1019170" align="alignnone" width="647"] Dog tattoo done by - Eroz (Ernest) of Warao Ink studio. -[/caption]
His wife Indira Velasquez is also a partner.
Romero started Warao Ink with Freidel Velásquez, another Venezuelan with whom he wor
