“Cooler Than Any Model”: 106-Year-Old Tattoo Artist Became a Star Of The Modeling World!
Perhaps most of us are accustomed to seeing stunning models or celebrities with flawless makeup and striking outfits on the covers of glossy magazines. Yet even publications that have been around for over 130 years still find ways to astonish their readers and remind them that beauty knows no boundaries or expiration dates.
A tattoo artist from the Kalinga region, 106-year-old Apo Whang-Od, became the oldest model ever to grace the cover of the globally renowned Vogue magazine. She adorned the cover of the April issue of the Philippine edition and was also featured inside. The atmospheric photos were captured by photographer Artu Nepomuceno. On the cover, the 106-year-old indigenous woman appeared in traditional beads, but the main adornments were her tattoos.
Apo Whang-Od is one of the last of her generation of “mambabatok,” as tattoo masters are known in Kalinga, who create distinctive designs and ornaments for this people. She teaches and inspires the next generation of tattoo artists who are following in her footsteps, continuing a millennia-old tradition. Batok is an ancient tattooing technique where a mixture of water and charcoal is hammered into the skin using a thorn from pomelo or calamondin trees and a wooden mallet.
All of Whang-Od’s tattoos are done manually, a skill she began learning at the age of 16 under her father’s guidance. Now, her two grandnieces, Grace and Eliang, are following in her footsteps.
“In this issue, we pay homage to women who are wise and wild, creating themselves, writing their own stories,” said Bea Valdes, the editor-in-chief of Philippine Vogue, about the issue featuring Whang-Od on the cover.
The issue also delves into the origins and features of Filipino national attire, the barong, and the weaving of pina, traditional Filipino fabric woven from pineapple leaves. We cannot help but admire that, despite her venerable age, Whang-Od continues to ensure that her craft lives on eternally. Respect for traditions is not the only excellent reason to get a tattoo: behind them often lie stories that evoke deep emotions.
