The cultural meaning of tattoo in contemporary Hong Kong society

Abstract

In Hong Kong, tattoos have long been perceived negatively as deviant, transgressions, and/or triad-related. This study aims to explore the cultural meanings of tattoos in contemporary Hong Kong society with a particular focus on changes in the way tattoos are perceived. A qualitative methodology was adopted in order to understand a) the changes of tattooing practices in Hong Kong over the past generations; b) the changes in the social meaning of tattoos; and c) the reasons for, and the significance of, the changes. In-depth interviews were conducted with local tattoo artists, tattooed persons, and participants in a tattoo convention held in Hong Kong to draw out their narratives (e.g. views, opinions, beliefs and stories etc.) about the tattooing subculture in Hong Kong.

Our findings reveal that tattoos have become more common and increasingly accepted by the society’s mainstream, particularly in the past five years. We describe the changes in terms of patterns, clientele, artists, tattooing practices, reasons for tattooing and perceptions of tattooing. Various factors including the media, celebrities, Internet and personal tattooing experience have contributed significantly to the evolution of the tattoo subculture in local mainstream society. It would be an oversimplification to generalize from the ‘tattoo-gang related stigma’ to the view that tattoos in Hong Kong is considered deviant. Nevertheless, the prejudice towards tattoos has not disappeared completely even though the tattoo is increasingly embraced as a genuine art form and a unique medium for self-expression. The popularity of tattooing does not directly imply normalization. This is because the tattoo is still viewed as something that stands out as different from the mainstream.