HONOLULU (KHON2) – Aug. 1 kicks off the 10th annual Hawaii Tattoo Expo, or the Pacific Ink and Art Expo, at the Blaisdell Center’s Exhibition Hall.
Last year, there were approximately 8,000 guests in attendance — with more expected this year, which pleases organizers such as Daniel Casler.
For Casler, the expo is more than just showcasing gnarly tattoos, it’s about highlighting culture.
“Growing up in Hawaii, the biggest thing is that you want to go culture first, always,” Casler said.
He said that the event is an opportunity to blend different cultures to celebrate an originally indigenous art form.
“So, the piko of this whole this has always been around Hawaiian culture, Samoan culture. And then its grown from there so now we have Thai, Filipino, Japanese, and then you build off of that because when you look at where tattoo has grown into this multi-billion dollar industry with TV shows and celebrities and all of that,” Casler said. “It stems from one group of people and then that native, indigenous art form has grown and expanded across the world and that is why all these people are here.”
The expo comes with a growing array of unique displays of creativity, Casler said.
“[Artists] are really putting so much energy into not just showcasing their art and their talent, but they are bringing this tattoo shop vibe or this culture, this experience of being somewhere that is different from even just being in an expo hall,” he said. “You are being transformed and transported somewhere else.”
The expo is taking the opportunity to showcase methods from around the world, such as Thai tattooing. For High Tide Bamboo Tattoo artist Eric, the tattooing process is a bit gentler on the skin.
“Well, you got the same motion as a machine here. Its just because its a little slower, there is not as much trauma to the skin,” Eric said. “You don’t get the hot, burning feel you might get from machine. So, with it, there is less plasma, actually less pain. It just takes a little longer.”
The practice of cultural art is significant — it carries years of history behind it, with Eric saying the expo highlights that history.
“It’s cool to go somewhere where a lot of the background history is years and years of practice and I find it addicting, beautiful and fascinating,” he said.
The expo will last until 11 p.m. on Aug. 1, and will run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Aug. 2 and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 3.
For more information, visit the expo’s website.