Extreme Tattoo Lovers Display Their Outrageous Ink

The 'Human Checkerboard', 'Vampire Woman' and 'Devil from Colombia' show off their astonishing body art at the annual Venezuelan Tattoo Expo.

Published

4 months ago

Categories

Seriously?, Arts & Society

Topics

Seriously?, Arts & Culture

People

Maria Jose Cristerna, Matt Gone

Places

Venezuela

Transcript

Meet the Human Checkerboard....also known as Matt Gone. 98 percent of his body is covered in tattoos. And you might just ask yourself, why? SOUNDBITE: Matt Gone, Human Checkeroard, saying (English): "I got tattooed not to hate my body. I have rare birth defects, many medical issues. I have seven birth defects and kidney disease. I did not want to hate my body because of my medical problems so I hid my birth defects with the tattoos. I got my body more special with the tattoos. So I had a sick body and now I have a tattooed body." Checkerboard is just one of the faces to see at the Venezuela Tattoo Expo, which showcases some of the most outlandish body art in the industry. But some are showing off more than that. Maria Jose Cristerna, also known as Vampire woman, has sub and transdermal implants that are placed under the skin to create a raised design. The four-day event will feature more than 300 tattoo artists, attracting scores of body art enthusiasts, eager to show off their ink, piercings and other body alterations.