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Henk has a collection of 115 tattoos. All on himself, each with it's own story. To make things even more interesting, Henk brought with him a preserved piece of skin with a tattoo on it.
Henk Schiffmacher is a tattoo artist, painter, writer, collector and world traveler. Through his travels and experiences, Henk has acquired extensive knowledge of the role and significance of tattoos through the ages and in different cultures.
In his opinion, tattoos have become an identifier, a way to identify people after their death and sometimes a way people choose to commemorate someone they lost. Often people try to replace their mental pain with physical pain. It distracts them from their aching emotions and gives them some actual tangible pain instead. The second day after the Malaysian airline crash, Henk already had people in his tattoo shop who wanted a tattoo of their loved ones, to help them in the process of mourning. The power of the tattoo was a strong mental connection in several ways.
Some people even want their ashes of their pet mixed with the ink. Henk just has one short piece of advice: Don't bring the ash of the entire horse.
Produced by: www.fellermedia.com
Camera by: www.hoens.tv
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