City gets inked at a fair

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

The tattoo fair will bring together the masters of the art during the weekend.

The buzz and hum of tattoo machines will reverberate around Kadıköy in Istanbul as world-renowned tattoo masters come together for the Istanbul Tattoo Convention Fair on Sept. 15 and 16 at the Kadıköy Public Education Center.

Many famous tattoo artists from the United States, Britain, China, Japan and Scotland, who have decorated the skin of Hollywood celebrities and international athletes, will present their work and offer patrons a chance under the needle. Leading Turkish tattoo artists and shops will also participate in the festival.

Tattoos are becoming more and more socially accepted, according to Şener Öner, the executive board chairman of the convention’s organizing company Golden Arrow. Three out of five people between the ages of 18 and 35 have a tattoo, Öner said.

“People of all professional groups including football players, artists, doctors, lawyers and more are interested in tattoos. We used to [often only] put Chinese or Latin lettering on bodies as tattoos, but now we are making special, custom designs,” Öner said.