Tattoo on black or dark skin: “It’s hard to find a tattoo artist who agrees to do complex things”

The first tattoo convention “for people with dark and mixed skin color” was held on May 4 and 5 in Paris, which made it possible to remove the clichés that still burden non-white skin.

This Sunday, May 5, at brunch time, the premises of the Maison Python tattoo parlor in Paris (19th century) mock the ambient darkness carried by the shadowy sky. The place welcomes Afroderm for the weekend, “the first tattoo convention for people with dark and mixed skin color”. In this bustling beehive, tattoo machines pluck away the skin of smiling customers. The sound system emits honeyed r’n’b. The crowd gathers around a dozen tables where the tattoo artists were sitting. The look is casual but sophisticated. Tattoos highlighted with tank tops, tops, skirts with slits leave a scent of sensuality in the air.

Isahia, 21, walks around with her round chest. Eyes narrow on his embossed frame. Confident in his abilities, he looks in front of a mirror with two templates placed on the side, which allow him to visualize the location of the piece he wants to make. “I came a day early because I had an idea to tattoo the pectoral muscles, but in the end I will do two tattoos on the ribs. They’re angels with demon heads, I like this slightly dark universe.” In the general context of the underrepresentation of dark-skinned people, he was spoiled for choice for the first time. He says : “When you’re black, you have to do more tedious research to find skin tone drawing suggestions.