BUSHI TATTOO
BUSHI TATTOO - farewell to an artist
One day, before the end of 2017, Carsten came to me. Some weeks later he would have left Bonaire. He was about to close his business and go back to Belgium, his homeland.
I hardly knew him at that time. For me he was the random guy running the tattoo shop downtown.
That day we talked for a little while and we got to know each other better. He told me his story: he had left Belgium many years before and travelled around Europe working as a tattoo artist. In 2005 he arrived on Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean), settled down and opened a tattoo shop. At the beginning it wasn’t easy. But island life was simple at the time. Sometimes locals were bartering groceries or handmade products to have a tattoo painted by him.
Fast forward to the present day, same tattoo shop plus two kids:“The immigration here is giving me a hard time, with no reason. Since I arrived on this island… for twelve years… every time I am about to renew my residence permit… they start making problems. I have enough of this s**t! I wanna go back to my country…”.
That day he proposed me to help him in his project: he wanted me to take photos of his paintings and sculptures, immersed in the natural environment of the island. It was his way to remember the places where he got the inspiration for his art. Part of his work would have stayed on Bonaire and part would have travelled back to Europe with him.
I was surprised discovering that Carsten is not only a tattoo artist, but also a very talented and creative being, with a strong artistic background. We spent some of his last afternoons on Bonaire together, while he was “painting” the skin of the last-minute clients on the island or roaming into the wild looking for the best location to photograph his creations. Now he is back in Belgium. The island has lost a talented artist, a wholehearted guest and a good soul. He will be missed.
Read MoreOne day, before the end of 2017, Carsten came to me. Some weeks later he would have left Bonaire. He was about to close his business and go back to Belgium, his homeland.
I hardly knew him at that time. For me he was the random guy running the tattoo shop downtown.
That day we talked for a little while and we got to know each other better. He told me his story: he had left Belgium many years before and travelled around Europe working as a tattoo artist. In 2005 he arrived on Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean), settled down and opened a tattoo shop. At the beginning it wasn’t easy. But island life was simple at the time. Sometimes locals were bartering groceries or handmade products to have a tattoo painted by him.
Fast forward to the present day, same tattoo shop plus two kids:“The immigration here is giving me a hard time, with no reason. Since I arrived on this island… for twelve years… every time I am about to renew my residence permit… they start making problems. I have enough of this s**t! I wanna go back to my country…”.
That day he proposed me to help him in his project: he wanted me to take photos of his paintings and sculptures, immersed in the natural environment of the island. It was his way to remember the places where he got the inspiration for his art. Part of his work would have stayed on Bonaire and part would have travelled back to Europe with him.
I was surprised discovering that Carsten is not only a tattoo artist, but also a very talented and creative being, with a strong artistic background. We spent some of his last afternoons on Bonaire together, while he was “painting” the skin of the last-minute clients on the island or roaming into the wild looking for the best location to photograph his creations. Now he is back in Belgium. The island has lost a talented artist, a wholehearted guest and a good soul. He will be missed.
