Away from the great families of Irezumi, Horimyo works close to tradition. He’s one of the rare tattoo artists to work only with Tebori. Horimyo is a true Buddhist and under his fingers, Irezumi is a true act of faith.
For how long have you been tattooing?
I’m 31 years old now and I have worked as a tattoo artist for 7 and a half years now. I first studied drawing and at that time I travelled in the US where I met a lot of tattoo artists. I compared my drawing skills to theirs and I thought that I could compete. Of course, I already liked tattoos, but since then I decided to become a tattoo artist. At first, I studied by myself with an American imported machine. It was just before I met a Tebori artist. He introduced me to the traditional ways and technique.
How did you become his apprentice?
In 1998, I and some friends who organised some kind of event including tattoo and music. He was there. At first, we became friends as we are almost the same age. When he showed me his work, it was the first time I had ever seen traditional stuff. His was really original. After he convinced me to get back to traditional style and technique, he taught me to draw it. At that time, he didn’t have any apprentices, he was used to working alone. So I became his apprentice, but without the usual strict relationship between a master and his student.
Nowadays, a lot of ‘Teborists’ draw the line with the machine and fill the tattoo in by hand. You don’t, why?
At first, my intention was to do the same. For obvious reasons, of course, because it’s easier to draw the curves. I talked to my master about my plans but he got angry. It was out of the question. He has tattooed since he was 18 years old and he attaches great importance to the traditional way. Outlines and fill in must be done all by hand, that’s his way.
Your style is a bit apart from the traditional designs…
I am a traditional artist but my style is close to European culture. I like Europe, the mainland has a story. I would be really glad to go there. I’m a great fan of Dali, Giger and then Kyosai, Hokusai… I take my inspiration from everywhere. But I want also to go back a really traditional way of designing the tattoo, with less details. My master came from Osaka’s tattoo style. My influences as Japanese tattoo artists are Horiuno, not the famous one from the Kanto but the one from the West, with a very traditional style. Horitsune from Osaka also is a great inspiration. I like Japanese tattoos from Osaka. The style is huge, on a high-scale work. Irezumi from the East is much more meticulous.
Are there a lot of true Teborists?
Just a few. Young people mostly use machines now.
The ‘hari’ is a really difficult tool, what are the pluses?
It’s potential is very important, it’s possibilities are huge. I can do the same job with the hari as with the machine. Some customers say that it’s painless. I think that the relationship with the customer is different too. Of course it’s longer, so it’s important for the customer to take time and think about the design he’ll choose.
How many customers do you have each day?
No more than 2. I only accept customers that come to me by word of mouth. My customers are not yakuzas. Half of them like Japanese designs but the other half like American style. The Tebori technique can do everything, that’s its strength. Tattooing is also connected, to me spirituality. I leave a bit of my soul in each work that I do. Tebori is much more appropriate to feel it and the relationship with the customer is stronger. Before each session, I pray.
This is an idea that lays in you artist’s name, what does it mean?
I work under this name for 3 years now. ‘Hori’ comes from ‘horu’ and means ‘to carve’. I chose ‘myo’ for different reasons. In the Buddhist culture, ‘myo’ means ‘universe‘ and Buddhism is like a garden. In the beginning there’s nothing, but after you make plants, flowers grow … The process is the same in life. Another motivation deals with the relation with the customer. I want the tattoo to bring him a lot of good things, luck too. ‘Myo’ in that case is like a charm. We are both connected. If good things come to my customer, he will and so will my tattoo get more value. If my work’s value gets higher, his will get higher too. Value is a main idea in Buddhism and the most important thing in life.
But towards the society in Japan, Irezumi doesn’t have any value, or even so a negative one. Why did you want to become a tattoo artist?
I realized that in a lot of countries, people were proud of their country. In Japan, people are not. Most of them lost their pride when Japan was defeated at the end of the second world war. For those who are not, it’s difficult to express their patriotism, because singing their love for the country or having a Japanese flag would be seen as nationalism. Japanese tattooing is well-known and famous around the world, I found my own pride in it. That’s what I want to teach to new generations.
Popularizing Japanese tattoo designs on clothes is part of this state of mind?
Tattooing is a lifelong work. Clothes are business. But I want to change Irezumi’s image. That’s why I draw designs inspired from Japanese tattooing, to make them more fashionable and positive in people’s mind. I’m also producing an art project dealing with music, video and tattooing. The goal is to create some kind of emulation and make people recognise tattooing as an art form.
