The beauty of tattoo is the journey, not just the destination. The new editorial by Miki Vialetto

A few months back there was the news of the death of Ricardo Godoi, a famous Brazilian influencer, due to complications arising from a general anaesthetic for the execution of a full body tattoo carried out by eight tattooists working simultaneously. A tragic event which, unfortunately, came as no surprise to me and made that news story a tragic example and negative model for all who love tattoo.

It is not the first time that something like this has happened. Over recent years, a number of wealthy clients have been prepared to shell out exorbitant sums in order to have entire parts of their bodies tattooed under general anaesthetic. In my opinion, not only is this practice extremely risky for the health of the person involved, but it also devalues utterly the very process of tattoo.

I still recall, over fourteen years ago, when at my London Convention, the Rat Pack group began to work on collaborations where a number of tattooists would complete a back piece in three days, sometimes even two. When the news reached me that they wanted to go further and finish a body suit in the same time, I asked all the tattooists involved to let that project go. Because the ego of an artist, or several artists, must never come before the health of the client. A tattoo is not something needed urgently, it does not need to be finished in just a few hours. Pain is an integral part of the process. Only through suffering can we truly appreciate the value of something, and the value of a tattoo must remain intact for a lifetime.

The relationship between tattooists and client is fundamental. It took me two years to complete my body suit with Filip Leu and, even though thirty years have passed, I still recall every single session perfectly. I remember the pure agony, the joy at the end of the day, the laughs, the relationship that was created session after session. Today however, in a society that is ever faster and more superficial, dominated by the logic of infinite scrolling on social media, there is a desire to apply the same frenzy to every aspect of life, tattoo included. To get a back piece or full front in just a few hours simply to satisfy the whim of the moment is a dangerous choice which can lead to tragic consequences. The beauty of tattoo is in the journey, not just the destination. And this is a concept we shoud never forget.