The African youth have constantly had their expression often curtailed, questioned, or under strict scrutiny. While some of these questions have come from a place of concern, there have been instances when ignorance has taken precedence in the hearts of people who have labelled and stereotyped people who live a lifestyle that is different from what is expected in African societies. It is well-accepted and known that culture is dynamic and bound to adjustments and changes. However, African communities, especially in Ghana, West Africa, which is the article's focal point, seem to be on the fence on the issue of the dynamism of culture.
In recent years, young adults who express themselves through their hairstyles, clothing, or other fashion lifestyles have been met with stereotypes, harassment, and insults from friends, police, society, and, in some cases, family, for how different they approach their lives. There have been opposing views on a lot of these lifestyles in recent years, which has prompted the need to put together this article on understanding the culture of tattoos and piercings.
Those born in the 1990s or earlier have witnessed how strict society was on how people looked, dressed, spoke, walked, or even what they wore. Acting on the adage “It takes a village to raise a child," children born within those years were exposed to societal parenting where someone outside your biological parents could scold you for “not acting right.” As such, any lifestyle people wanted to live was hidden from the watchful eyes of parents and other older folks who were given the license to scold them. People who aimed for white-colored jobs or worked in certain institutions were warned against living certain lifestyles or having multiple piercings and tattoos, as they were considered unwelcome in such places. However, there has been a significant change in communal parenting. People outside a child’s family barely have a say in what a child does, wears, or lives.
While communal parenting has died down, young adults are faced with being profiled. In some cases, they are harassed by police officers for having tattoos and multiple piercings. Surprisingly, quick research reveals that tattoos and piercings have always been part of African culture, which makes it more surprising why they have become such a bad thing to have as a young adult. While some will be quick to present a religious argument, it must be stated that Africa has a diverse religious belief system and heavy indigenous culture, even before the introduction of the other religions that supported tattoos and piercings.
In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a practice of tattooing where an instrument with a sharp blade is used to cut the skin into patterns. The wounds from the cut form a particular pattern on a person's cheeks. Some cultures believe these scars were meant to ward off evil and, in some cases, provide easy identification for people from different parts of the region. However, concerns have been raised over the danger involved in this process since the instruments used are often infected and there are no proper ways of sterilising them.
Despite the setbacks, we continue to see an increase in tattoos and piercings among young adults across diverse fields. While tattoos on traditional lines represent symbols and beliefs, others are often for decorative purposes that are significant to the wearer of the tattoo. Some of these tattoos and piercings are not only beautiful to look at, but they sometimes have a much deeper meaning to the person when they interpret them for you.
While the young generation is unapologetic in the display of their lifestyle through their tattoos and piercings, there is a rising concern among adults about tattoos and piercings, which they believe have a negative impact on the lives of these young adults.
In a modern society where tolerance and freedom of expression are the order of the day, there are still people who question, stereotype, and harass people who express themselves through tattoos and piercings.
The current back and forth has made the subject an uncomfortable one for people. As such, we speak to some people who are lovers of the art of tattooing, artists themselves, and enthusiasts of piercings who share their experience living in a society that seems unaccepting of their lifestyle.
I am an artist who practices many forms of art, from pencil work to acrylic painting on canvas. My interest in tattoos came naturally, and I only needed to buy a kit to get started. A tattoo artist with no personal tattoos is bad branding, so I needed to have first-hand experience of what I do. Fun fact: my first tattoo was done by me.
In recent years, I would say tattoos have gained a lot of attention. I am 22 and a tattoo artist. This couldn't have been the case for a typical Ghanaian girl 10 or 20 years ago. With many tattoo artists coming up, workshops, and many people unlearning the negative view of tattoos, I see the community getting more active, and it will expand in the coming years.
A downside would be when I work on very sensitive skin and the skin gets irritated. It is a very overwhelming experience, even with my one-time experience. Consulting pharmacists to help resolve the situation and following up regularly amidst busy schedules. Also, there is the risk of doing home service for some clients who require such services. I do not have any bad experiences, and I do not hope to. However, to avoid any of such experiences, I always need to go in the company of a friend, or I do not go at all.
I believe having a tattoo is like wearing clothes. It has nothing to do with character, the way your mind works, your interpersonal skills, and your behavioural framework as a human being. It is pure art. I wish the misconception that people with tattoos are bad people would be debunked because outward judgement is stereotypical and knowing what someone truly is has nothing to do with their clothes or the tattoos they have. "If you have a tattoo, you cannot donate blood." Another misconception I would like to debunk. After extensive research on the World Health Organization platform and healthline.com, it is safe to say that one can still donate blood. There are some criteria you must meet. For example, if your tattoo is more than 3 months old, a blood test will prove your blood is free of viruses and isn't compromised from the introduction of needles and ink into your body, amongst others.
I have always wanted to have a piercing(s), but one thing that majorly influenced me to get a piercing would be my community. Initially, I thought it would be painful and scary, and I worried it would go against my religious beliefs or cause me to develop keloids. But when you get past all that, you start to see the appeal. My parents naturally cautioned against it because of societal perceptions, as piercings (especially on a male) lead to negative opinions about you. However, after a depressive episode, a friend suggested I get a piercing since I had always wanted one and it might help me feel better. I didn't even overthink it; I just went and got it done. I remember standing in front of the mirror a day later and being in love with my face. That's when I knew, for a fact, that I would definitely be getting more piercings. I liked how it accentuated the face and added some unique aura to my personality. Think of piercings as decoration for your face, and I would 100% recommend that you explore piercings, especially if you're struggling with self-image; it helps.
Ghanaians are not very accommodating of people with piercings, especially millennials. Although it has improved somewhat in the Gen Z scene, there are still many stereotypes surrounding piercings, and even with my septum piercing, people always asked me if I was gay or bisexual, and they were always quick to treat me in some way as if I were indecent. At home, during a period when I was contemplating showing my piercing to my parents, my mother saw my piercing when I was attending to it, and she was visibly scared and disturbed. That was when I realised I would have to keep it hidden at home. I generally keep my piercing tucked (a skill I learned from getting it pierced) when I am in spaces where I want to avoid confrontation or staring eyes. Honestly, I feel like the way people are quick to judge or quick to treat me differently infringes on my freedom of expression.
People shouldn't be quick to judge people with piercings. Everybody has the right to express themselves in their own way. Piercings do not define a person's character and can be done for any number of reasons, so it's not fair to make assumptions about somebody just because of how they look. Also, not every man with a piercing is gay, comes from a bad home with no moral values, or is ill-mannered. I have encountered people who felt the need to preach to me, those who were immediately rude to me because of how I presented myself, and also people who stared at me judgmentally and with so much displeasure. It is a feeling I hope nobody experiences. It is my hope and prayer that people learn to accommodate other people.
I grew up seeing my older brothers get tattoos and sometimes even getting to see the process, and as a 12-year-old kid who loved building inventions, I managed to build my first tattoo machine and successfully gave myself my first one, delving into the culture and art of it! My dedication to improving my craft, both in tattoo machine-making and tattooing, helped it transition from a personal pursuit to a business.
Based on my observation, I think people are not as hesitant to get tattoos anymore. As perceptions about tattoos are evolving based on cultural and religious reasons, pain, safety and hygiene practices, and other individual or general reasons, I contribute to it by educating myself enough to establish a welcoming space for people, whether potential clients or not, to comfortably ask questions and get all the information they need from me. You don’t need to have tattoos or get tattoos to know about tattoos!
I don’t see myself just as a tattoo artist in business; I see myself as a memory creator and collector, which makes it a mixture of friendly and professional, so I’d say one amazing thing for me is getting to meet all the interesting people and experience them. I grew up not having the freedom to go outside or make friends, so having the opportunity now to meet new people through work heals so much in me, and because I’m always sharing so much wisdom and good vibes with my clients, I want to start vlogging every experience so that somehow other people can learn from and be inspired by these conversations too!
On the bad side of it, tattooing is a very expensive hobby/ business considering how expensive supplies are, shipment, shop rent, time and skill level, and other factors that may affect estimates and pricing of tattoos. It would be so helpful if people paid for tattoos like they’re paying for art as it is rather than pay for it like they’re buying negotiable tomatoes from the Kaneshie market.
I don’t support judging people because my spiritual belief is against that, but I do believe in the art of getting to know people personally based on understanding that our perception of people’s personality and nature isn’t always accurate and also that we are all trying to be better individuals and we grow every day, and as we learn and love everyone equally, we should unlearn thinking people with tattoos are ghetto or there’s no hope for people, in general, to get better or have some good in them.
