An eclectic group of Cuban women tattooing, insular, communist-run island has emerged from the shadows, pushing the boundaries of a legal void and leveraging the internet to promote an ancient art that recently Recently it has become common again in Cuba.
The nearly 200-member women’s union, called Arias, was founded in July 2021, and is the first organization to actively and openly promote body art on the island, which has been considered taboo in Cuba for decades. , especially among women.
While tattoos themselves are not illegal in Cuba, the island’s traditional “machista” culture has long stigmatized the practice, rendering it largely to sailors, prostitutes, and prisoners.
“I was very self-conscious. I felt like I couldn’t express myself,” said Marion Leva, one of the group’s founding members. She credits the group for helping her regain her self-esteem.
“It was like being born again for me. You shouldn’t be discriminated against for getting a tattoo on your skin.”
The open activism of Arias members is not without risk. The Cuban government maintains a list of approved, private sector businesses, and “tattoo artist” is not among them. Although the practice is not explicitly said to be illegal, legal binding has long forced the art to remain in the shadows.
But increasing access to the Internet – which has recently become common on the island, as well as cultural exchange through the island’s tourism industry – has exposed the population to practices common elsewhere, such as tattoo art.
As a result, the women of Arias say that body art is no longer considered taboo.
Ariam Arietta, photographer and co-founder of Arias, credits the rapidly growing group of providing security in numbers for its members, who increasingly feel comfortable expressing themselves.
“Unlike three years ago, today we can say that women are getting tattoos here on a daily basis,” Arita told Reuters during a photo session in Havana.
The rise of tattoos on the island of 11 million comes as Cuba puts in a public referendum a family code that seeks to liberalize the rights of the LGBTQ community and strengthen laws that protect the rights of women and children.
Tattoo artist Amanda Santana said the legal void is no longer the barrier it once was, as the Internet provides new ways of advertising and helps spread the group’s message of acceptance.
“It’s not legal, but it’s not illegal either (…),” tattoo artist Santana told Reuters after starting work on the tattoo. “All tattoo artists use the internet to promote themselves. I have my Instagram page, contact my clients online,” she said.
read all breaking news, today’s fresh news And Assembly Election Live Updates Here.