While many people would not think too much about a small, discreet tattoo made on a part of the body that is usually covered up, a full-body tattoo requires real commitment from its wearer.
As part of an exhibition held at the Ronin Gallery, titled “Taboo: Ukiyo-e and the Japanese Tattoo”, art photographer Masato Sudo has created a series of stunning large format images of full-body Japanese tattoos created by skilled tattoo masters who have drawn inspiration from past historical periods.
In these compelling pictures, the faces of the subjects are usually obscured so that the viewer’s attention will be wholly on the wonderfully intricate artworks that cover their bodies.
Using “the cutting edge archival fresco pigment printing process”, Sudo’s photographs are resistant to heat, light and moisture and are protected by a soft layer of plaster, which would enable them to survive for centuries.
You can view more of these artistically shot photographs of beautiful full-body Japanese tattoos on the Ronin Gallery website.
[via Faith Is Torment, images by Masato Sudo via Ronin Gallery]