【刺青は、自分との闘い】
ベースとなる布地にひと針ひと針丁寧に、しかし迷いなく糸を通していく。ラフに下絵のラインが引かれた生地に針と糸だけで少しずつ絵柄が描かれていく光景は、どこか刺青にも相通ずるものがあるようにも見える。
繊細な手技でミシンには出せない暖かな風合いのチェーンステッチ作品を生み出すのはBETTY BEEの屋号で活躍する刺繍作家のハクさん。アメリカンビンテージを想わせるその作品は高く評価され、近年はSNSを介して海外からのオーダーも多い。
Haku of Betty Bee is an embroidery artist by trade. She sews with thread and needle on base fabric by hand in a very slow but beautiful process. It is very easy to make a comparison of the way she puts needle and thread to fabric to the way a tattoo artist puts needles to skin. Both are time consuming and both start with a motif that is beautified by the process.
Her works are done by the chain stitch process and the delicacy of each stitch manifests a finished work that has warmth, which can not be created using a sewing machine. Her work resembles American vintage and is sought after by people from all over the world through direct messages on SNS.
ハクさんの身体は手の甲から足の甲までびっしりと刺青に覆われている。その大部分は茨城MATCHBOX TATTOOの彫もと氏によるネオトラディショナルな和彫りだが、随所に異なるアーティストたちのスモールピースも散見される。一人の彫り師に固執せず自分が好きな作風のアーティストたちの作品を集めているのだ。
「絵柄に意味を求めることはあまりありません。その都度、彫り師さんが得意とするモチーフをお任せでお願いしています。結構ライトな感じですよ」と笑う彼女は、10代後半の頃に海外のミュージシャンやアーティストのポートレイトに写るタトゥーを見て惹きつけられたのだと言う。そのとき「自分も入れてみたい」という感情を抱くと同時にこうも思った「彫り師になりたい」と。
Her body is fully covered up by tattoos from her knuckles to top of her feet. Most of her work is done by Horimoto of Matchbox Tattoo in Ibaraki but several small pieces have been added by other artists here and there. She considers herself a collector of tattoos and revels in the variety of styles available; therefore is not committed to just one artist.
“I seldom require any meanings behind motifs. I usually leave everything up to the artist and have them do what they’re good at. I think my way of enjoying tattoos is pretty light,” Haku says as she laughs. She was fascinated with tattoos on foreign musicians and artists she came across in magazines when she was a teenager. She felt she wanted to be a tattoo artist and also get tattooed at the same time.
とは言え今ほど業界が開けていなかった当時のこと、何から始めればいいのかも分からなかった。地元で定評のあったMATCHBOX TATTOOに自分で描き起こしたデザインを持ち込んで首の後ろに彫ってもらった後、一度は茨城を離れ、他所でもいくつかのタトゥーを増やしたハクさんだったが、また地元へと戻った際に再度MATCHBOXのドアを叩いた。
左腕に彫もと氏が得意とする虎を彫ってもらっている最中、会話の流れで「彫り師になりたい」という夢を伝えると「教えてもらうより見て学んだ方がいい」と言われ、氏の技術を間近で観察すべく、自身の身体すべてをその教材とすることを決意したのだ。
However the tattoo industry wasn’t as open as it is today. Haku didn’t know how her journey into tattoos should start. She brought a hand drawn sketch to a popular tattoo shop Matchbox Tattoo and had Horimoto tattoo it on the back of her neck. She also travelled and received tattoos by other artists, but always found her way back to the doors of Matchbox Tattoo and Horimoto.
While Horimoto was tattooing one of his famous tigers, she told him that she wanted to be a tattooer. He suggested it’s better to learn by watching than being taught, so Haku decided to use her full body as a means of studying and observing his distinguished skill.
両腕から背中、脚へと続く行程は週3〜4日、短くとも1回3時間のペースで進められた。ときには10時間以上もぶっ続けで彫り進めたこともあったと言うから、その意志の強さには感服せざるを得ない。この頃のことをハクさんは「自分との闘いでした」と振り返る。
誰もその苦しみから助けてはくれなければ、逆に放り出してしまっても彫り師の他には誰にも迷惑はかからない。続けるか辞めるかは自分次第だ。折れそうになる心を支えたのは、途中で投げ出しては様にならないという美意識と、丁寧な仕事をしてくれる彫もと氏への敬意だった。
She would get tattooed at least 3 hours a day 3-4 times a week completing her arms, back and legs. I cannot help but admire her for her strong will. On some occasions her sessions lasted over ten hours. Haku looks back now on that time and states, “It was a battle against myself.”
When in the moment, nobody can save her from the suffering experienced while getting inked and she also realized that quitting would only hurt herself and her tattoo artist. The decision to keep going or to give up was definitely up to her. What kept her from giving up was the aesthetic beauty of the tattoos she was receiving and the ultimate respect she had for Horimoto who always put in his best effort and work.
その甲斐あって、彫もと氏渾身の総身彫りは国内外を問わず行く先々で注目を集め、上海の国際コンベンションではオーバーオール部門で名誉ある優勝も飾っている。
彫り師になるという夢は、趣味で楽しんでいた刺繍が先に花開いたため今は一旦お預けとなっているが、刺青に関わったことで育まれた人との繋がりはハクさんの人生を豊かにする糧となっていると言う。それは身体に刻まれた個々の刺青にまつわるエピソードを話すときの、屈託のない笑顔を見れば明らかだ。彼女のアトリエを見回せば、親交の深いアーティストたちのフラッシュが壁に飾られていた。
As a reward for her patience, the masterpiece of Horimoto added to her body has gained prominence domestically and overseas . Her highest award was winning the first prize in The Shanghai International Tattoo Convention.
Her dream to be a tattoo artist has been temporarily put on hold because her embroidery hobby has bloomed into a full time business, which keeps her very busy. But she believes the relationships she has fostered with people who she met through tattoo life has enriched her life. This last sentiment is obvious when seeing her pure smile while she talks about each tattoo. When I looked around her atelier, I noticed flash from a large range of artists she is close to, displayed proudly on the walls.
※ハクさんの最新の動向はこちらから
www.instagram.com/haku_bee
※See more about Haku
www.instagram.com/haku_bee
