The collectors: Faridah, UK

"Hello! My name is Faridah, I'm 28 and live in Manchester, UK, with my partner Dom and our cats, Taco and Salem. Together we run V Rev, a vegan diner in the Northern Quarter of the city... Well, Dom and I do - the cats mostly just sit about. 

I first became aware of tattoos as something I could indulge in when my older brother Tom got his first from Louis Molloy at Middleton Tattoo Studio for his 18th birthday back in 2000. When I was ready to get my first at age 19 - my name in its original Urdu - I too went to Louis. My Mama drove me there and both my parents were very supportive. I thought about this piece a lot, and had it printed out above my desk at Oxford University to look at for 6 months to make sure I wanted it permanently just below the crease of my inner left arm. At this point I assumed I would become a Clinical Psychologist, or some other profession which would be difficult to navigate with visible tattoos. I thought I might get a few more small, easy to hide pieces, but had no idea I would go on to collect tattoos to the extent that I have today.

To date I have been tattooed by Louis Molloy, Sarah Schor, Andrea Furci, Lele, Tutti Serra, Xam, Ryan Mason, Cassandra Frances, Harriet Heath, Hannah Louise Clark, Claudia De Sabe, Jemma Jones, Matt Cooley, Scott Move, Daniel Morris, Kelly Smith and Antonio Roque.

Tattoo by Kally Smith // Tattoo by Jemma Jones

  

It's hard to pick a favourite tattoo: I love them all for different reasons and wouldn't change anything about them. Having said that, I think my most recent - a 420 tattoo from my good friend Harriet Heath - might well be the one I'm most fond of to date, but this feeling is the same with every new tattoo and I guess why I keep going back for more. I got this recently on the 20th April this year: a Japanese woman painting her eyebrows while smoking a spliff. I took a couple of days off work to visit Harriet and her partner Sam, and had some much needed and soul replenishing time whilst also getting totally baked of course. Harriet had initially drawn the design with chain print instead of weed leaves, and with a cigarette. We were chatting via text while she was doing this and I was already pretty gone when I made the suggestion of these edits. It was Harriet's idea to book me in on 420 and to aim to be finished just in time for a 4.20pm smoke. I had thought I would maybe get this piece a few inches big on the inside of my right thigh, but when I saw it drawn up large it made so much more sense with all the details. Harriet was keen to tattoo it big too, and the drawing fit the free space on my outer left thigh perfectly so we went for it. My outer right thigh by Claudia De Sabe took two sessions of three hours to complete, but Harriet knocked this out in an astounding 3 hours. The details and face in particular are so beautiful, and I really hope this attracts more clients looking for Japanese designs and bad girls, which I know she loves to do and totally slays at.

Faridah's favorite tattoo by Harriet Heath

I'm in no rush to fill up but still like to treat myself a few times a year if I can. In the past 9 years I've collected over 30 pieces from just over an inch big to the length between my knee and hip. I still have plenty of space though, and hope to still have enough to play with well into my 50s. My Dada started getting tattooed for the first time last year in his 60s and has work from a lot of the same artists as me. Seeing him enjoy the process into his retirement inspires me to look after my skin so I can do the same. I wouldn't rule out getting some sweet blackwork blast-overs, and am keen to cover visible areas such as my hands and neck in a few years, hopefully when I'm more confident in my self-employed life. 

Faridah with tattoo artist Hannah Louise Clark // Tattoo by Hannah Louise Clark

I have a few half-formed ideas for new pieces floating round my head right now. I've been hankering for a pair of Bert Grimm girls on the tops of my feet for yonks, and hope to start on my torso this year. As well as re-visiting old favourites, I hope for the opportunity to sit with artists such as Laura Yahna, Cecile Pages and Rachie Rhatklor in the future, and would love to travel more one day for work.

Picture by Fia Yaqub

Tattoos are no biggie in my day to day, and if anything get positive comments from customers and are even mentioned in reviews of our diner. We aim to create an inclusive and welcoming space for all people, so we're a no-judgement zone on aesthetic and my being visibly tattooed fits with that I guess. I dunno, I haven't really given much thought to it until now, we just are who we are and we do what we do. 

Until last year I was a Political Advisor, wearing my hair down, long sleeves and trousers or thick tights to work at all times. I couldn't cover them all completely however and I did receive some negative comments from senior management which were presented in a jokey manner but which I could tell there was some underlying truth to. More generally in public I do feel that being a visibly tattooed woman presenting as femme does increase negative interactions, particularly in the form of cat calling. I think it may well increase the frequency, which sucks, but some gross dudes have weird ideas about tattoos as a symbol of promiscuity or whatever which is of course totally untrue. Even if it were, that certainly doesn't give them the right to shout comments about my body in the street. Summer is the worst for it, so I'm bracing myself for it more already. 

Pictures by Fia Yaqub

What I love most about my tattoos is that my body is a constant work in progress. I like being able to add to my aesthetic over time, and mark moments forever. My tattoos are a mix of the deeply sentimental, traditional flash and the downright dumb. I'm a walking contradiction and that suits me just fine."

Thank you so much, Faridah! It is an absolute pleasure to have you on the blog!

Follow her on Instagram @tendervegan