Cliché as it may sound, artists often say that from childhood, they always identified their talent or goal in life. And there might be some truth there as, in most cases, people who are gifted in art usually begin young. 

Take Henry Peter Nyirigira for example, a visual and tattoo artist, who started drawing at the age of five. Even with his love for drawing, he didn’t imagine he would eventually be a tattoo artist, but that is the path his art took. 

He started his work as a tattoo artist in 2017, a journey he says wasn’t easy. "My parents didn’t imagine I could make a living from it, but I did it anyway because I loved it, and I knew how to do it. However, Rwandans were not yet open to the concept which didn’t help me.”

A client gets a tattoo on the leg

Tattoos, however, are still not an entirely embraced practice, with many calling it self-mutilation. According to Reef Karim in his article ‘Tattoo Psychology: Art or Self-destruction”, people get tattoos for many reasons; attention, self-expression, artistic freedom, rebellion, a visual display of a personal narrative, reminders of spiritual/cultural traditions, sexual motivation, addiction, identification with a group or even drunken impulsiveness.

In Rwanda, tattoos are becoming increasingly popular and Nyirigira says through word of mouth, the number of people that come to him has greatly increased, as he is always recommended to others. 

"The day I decide to get a tattoo, Henry will be my tattooist, nobody else. He did it for my best friend and he will do mine,” someone shared.

Nyirigira says he even made friendships from his day-to-day work. "One day a guy wanted me to put a tattoo on his back, a portrait of his girlfriend’s face, I advised him against it because I worried he might regret it sooner or later. He indeed would have as two weeks after that, he broke up with the said girl. That’s how we became friends.”

He also helps clients choose tattoos in case they are uncertain, or he may propose a better idea. "I know more about inks, designs, and others than them so I share my ideas of course considering their ideas as well,” he says, adding, "Clients choose tattoos based on what is important to them, remembrance of a loved one or some other emotional reason so they have to be careful.”

Nyirigira says that he is aware of the effects that could result in using the wrong ink or needle while tattooing, like allergic reactions, skin infections, and so on. 

"I buy the right materials, clean the re-usable, and use a new needle on each client,” he says.

When asked what keeps him motivated, Nyirigira says it only takes passion for what one does. "I think excelling is linked to doing what you are best at and want to do. We all know people who become doctors without the passion to be one and I think it is wrong. Such people will only care about survival and be less creative in their work because it is not their field of interest,” he says.

Nyirigira, however, didn’t take any courses related to tattoos, and says he learned with practice. "Just make sure you do well what you want to do, I believe people will recognise the value and pay the price,” he says.

Even if he makes it sound easy, the tattoo profession has its own struggles. "I ship my materials, we don’t have a market for them in Rwanda and that makes it hard for me as well as anyone else in this field of work,” he says. "Despite challenges though, it is still possible to take on anything. My message to Rwandans is not to be scared to start something good for themselves.” 

You can reach Henry Nyirigira on 0783801575