I REMEMBER DRAWING MY FIRST RAT IN NAGOYA AT SABADO’S ECCENTRIC TATTOO SHOP WHERE I WAS WORKING AS A GUEST TATTOOIST FOR A FEW WEEKS.
ONE NIGHT AFTER CLOSING THE SHOP ME,SABADO,HAN AND HORITOMO STARTED A LATE NIGHT DRAWING SESSION…THE IDEA WAS FOR EACH ONE OF US TO DRAW A RAT IN HIS OWN STYLE AND HAVE THE DESIGNS ON A SINGLE SHEET OF FLASH TO BE HANGED ON THE STUDIO’S WALL…THAT SESSION HAPPENED EXACTLY 12 YEARS AGO AND OF COURSE IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR OF THE RAT.
THE CHINESE ZODIAC HAS COMPLETED IT’S FULL CYCLE SINCE THAT NIGHT IN 1996 AS I WAS TAKING MY FIRST STEPS ON MY PATH AS A TATTOOIST.
FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS IT HAS BECOME A RITUAL OF MINE TO WELCOME AND HONOR THE NEW YEAR BY DRAWING IT’S CORRESPONDING ANIMAL.
TODAY THE 4075 th CHINESE YEAR STARTS AND IT’S THE RAT’S TURN ONCE AGAIN.
THE FIRST FLASHES OF A VERY BLURRED YET UNMISTAKABLE IMAGE OF A RAT STARTED AROUND SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR AND SINCE THEN UNTIL THE DAY I SAT IN FRONT OF A SPOTLESS SHEET OF WHITE PAPER HOLDING MY PENCIL NOT ONE DAY PASSED WITHOUT ME THINKING ABOUT THIS DESIGN.
THE DAY WAS JANUARY 3rd 2008…I WAS IN THE AMAZON FOREST STAYING AT THE ONLY HOTEL IN THE TOWN OF SÃO GABRIEL DA CACHOEIRA…THE RAIN STARTED THAT MORNING AND DIDN’T STOP FOR THE NEXT FOUR DAYS…DURING THAT TIME I WAS DRAWING.
ON OUR JOURNEY BACK TO MANAUS MY FRIEND MAKÁ ASKED ME IF THE BOAT SANK AND I COULD CHOOSE TO SAVE ONLY ONE OBJECT FROM MY BELONGINGS WHAT WOULD IT BE , I DIDN’T THINK TWICE BEFORE ANSWERING:
-MY RAT…..
awesome.
» Comment by Adam — February 7, 2008 @ 6:23 am
Excelente arte!
Que este ano do rato seja de muita prosperidade!
Saudações desde o Triangulo Mineiro!
» Comment by Anderson — February 7, 2008 @ 3:01 pm
Fala Jun!!!!!!!!!
tudo certo por aí???
hj minha tattoo tá fazendo um ano de existência!!!!
parabéns pela arte….parece q foi feita ontem!!!!
mesma linha, cor e formas…
vc tá em sp???
manda notícias
se cuida
abraços
» Comment by ricardo — February 7, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
Wow - that is so beautiful. Love the skull as well. It’s my new wallpaper on my Mac. Hope you’re well!
Joerg
(Cape Town)
» Comment by Joerg — February 8, 2008 @ 9:08 am
Jun,
Belo Desenho…
Que a L.U.Z esteja recoberta de prospreridade com o ano que chega !
Abraço
TJSS
» Comment by teddy — February 8, 2008 @ 10:09 am
Spectaculaire!!! Bravo!
It’s wonderful!
» Comment by Nathalie — February 8, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Que seja um grande ano, tanto para nos, que nascemos no ano do rato, quanto para os demais colegas que formam o ciclo.
PS - nao podia deixar de perguntar. E a lista para a proxima rodada paulista de trabalho? Ja rolou? Volto para terra em junho, queria saber se vc vai estar por la e se teremos chance de estar no grupo dos selecionados.
cheers
» Comment by Renato Andrade — February 8, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
Que toda a luz que vc precisa esteja presente esse ano Jun.
abs
» Comment by Alex Liki — February 9, 2008 @ 4:11 am
Cara, quero muito uma tattoo sua! Espero estar na listinha desse ano!
Abraço!
» Comment by Marcelo — February 11, 2008 @ 7:21 pm
JUN monstruoso esse desenho, uns dos mais bonitos que ja viiiiiiiiii, esta serie esta de volta né!!!!!!!!feliz 2008 e bom começo de Ano , logo mais estarei por ae…..
» Comment by BNUNES76 — February 22, 2008 @ 11:22 am
Jun,
Li uma entrevista sua e também vi seu trabalho pelo site e fiquei encantada, gostaria muito de estar fazendu uma tatuagem contigo.
Se pudesse gostaria que você me passasse o endereço do seu estudio por email.
Parabéns!
Obrigada.
» Comment by Camila Cadiari — February 27, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
this is a kind of drawing I was telling you, I gonna get one of those right into my back, the whole back. I am saving for you. catch u soon. peace, A*
» Comment by ALE — March 21, 2008 @ 7:17 am
I am so impressed with this drawing, as well as the story that you told about your first rat drawing. I can totally relate to the connection you feel with your rat. I found your site by searching for pictures of rat drawings as today I am holding a memorial for my rat who was my very best friend. I am searching images because I decided that I would like a tattoo to represent her and that would be with my always as a reminder of our friendship. I miss her and thank you for your inspiration, I would travel to Brazil just to be tattoed by you if I could somehow afford the costs
» Comment by Angela — July 31, 2008 @ 3:33 pm