Intersecting Lines, Handpoke Tattooing & Queer Authenticity

Intersecting Lines, Handpoke Tattooing & Queer Authenticity. An interview with @tattoo.dude, a Southern Queer DIY Handpoke tattoo artist here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Last month, I had the privledge of sitting down with @tattoo.dude to chat about their journey into handpoke tattooing. We talked about self-tattoing as a teenager, to tattooing friends out of their dorm room in college, to now operating out of their home studio here in Mid City.

We also talked about the resurgence of DIY tattooers, creating a safe-space for Southern LGBTQIA+ people, as well as their creative process and experience thus far as a queer DIY handpoke tattoo artist here in Louisiana.

First things first, why do you do what you do?

Colin: “I just love connecting with other people. Especially with other queer people, on what they find important about their life, and putting that on their bodies.“

How was it, for you, growing up queer in Louisiana?

Colin: "I grew up in the Lafayette public school system. As you can imagine, I went through the usual chaos of trying to hide who I was, while at the same time trying to figure it out for myself as well. I came out in middle school, and it's quite a funny story.

I wrote down on the tiniest piece of paper, “I’m gay”, and I had every intention to give it to my brother first. But, I chickened out and put it in my drawer. Eventually, around Christmas time, my mom found it picking up in my room, and she placed it on the Christmas tree. She was like, “What does that say? Who wrote that?” and they were all really cool about it. I was not ready to come out at that time, but I am really grateful it happened when it did.”

How long have you been tattooing?

Colin: Well, I’ve always loved to draw and was always interested in the artform of tattooing. When I was about 17, that interest and desire kind of escalated, and I started tattooing myself to learn more about the technical aspects of tattooing. Then, some of my friends were like, “hey, I want a tattoo too!”, and so, I slowly started tattooing more people; starting out with small tattoos, of course!

Colin: Once I got to college, I started doing tattoos out of my dorm room, then eventually out of my apartment, and now I finally have this gorgeous lil’ home studio that I’m OBSESSED with.”

What I loved about Colin’s space, was that they had several pieces of art ALL from local artists both here in Baton Rouge and the surrounding other parishes. Some are even original pieces and concepts of their tattoo work. The rest of their studio is garnished in the most quirky and eclectic way possible, yet there seems to be a nice balance & cohesion to the space.

What’s your tattoo process like? Do you freehand everything?

Colin: “Well, everything I tattoo is handdrawn by me, but I mainly do use stencils when applying the tattoos to my clients. However, there are situations where I do freehand the design, especially on certain body parts, like ears and fingers.“

Do you feel like there is a lane for you in tattooing?

“Definitely, I really love the fact that I do machineless handpoke tattoos, which of course, doesn’t require electricity - and feels kind of “back to the roots type sh*t”

Colin: You know, not too many people here in the South seem to do handpoke tattoos, so I recognize that fact, and am now able to provide that option for people while also creating a safe space to do so. Alot of people tell me that their experiences with handpoke tattoos are always alot more chill and stress-free in comparison to going to a commericalized machine-gun shop, where you traditionally have to deal with very “macho-manly-men”, and that can get kind of scary and intimidating at times. Especially for queer people.

***“Here, I’m a complete safe-space for queer people. Basically, all of my clients are gay as f*ck. “***

Colin: For Pride month, I usually do different abstract queer themes, sometimes with different pride flag colors, or whatever other gorgeous pieces I can collaborate with my clients on.

Colin: Overall, it’s been great being able to meet so many cool people who appreciate my skillset and style. It’s also rewarding to be able to connect to so many queer people in the process. I feel that me, being open about who I am, helps attract more of those types of people. There has been such a resurgance of DIY handpoke tattoo artists, especially in the queer community.

This particular trail of thought, really intrigued me during our conversation. I began asking myself,

“What is so inherently queer about DIY handpoke tattooing?”

Why could their be such a resurgance of DIY handpoke among the queer community specifically? What common threads do they share?

DIY handpoke tattooing and the queer identity share a profound link as forms of self-expression that defy conventional norms. Both are often perceived as alternative to mainstream practices, offering individuals a canvas for authentic representation and personal narrative. For many in the queer community, handpoke tattoos provide a means to reclaim their bodies on their own terms, celebrating identities that may otherwise be marginalized. This intimate, hands-on approach to tattooing fosters a sense of empowerment and self-determination, echoing the broader ethos of queer culture's resilience and creativity in defining one's own narrative.