A body, used as a canvas, every inch of skin filled with sacred text and figures of mythical creatures, all forming a protective shield. A boxer, a monk, a construction worker, a policeman, a soldier, a taxi driver, a shipyard worker, a shaman, a tattoo master, men and women and their inked protection from evil spirits and bad luck. Enter the world of Thailand's spiritual “Yantra” tattoo tradition.
From first chance encounters over three years ago with a shipyard worker completely covered in yantra tattoos, a young Iggy Pop-like taxi driver, or a fierce-looking market trader, photographer Cedric Arnold began taking portraits of these inked men and women as a personal project with the use of large formats as well as Polaroid cameras. Soon, it grew into a long-term venture, exploring this unique subculture, its rituals, symbols and people.
A chest etched with a fierce leaping tiger, a hand adorned with images of geckos on each finger, a back protected by a monkey God, or a shoulder inscribed with ancient Khmer text, sacred ink, believed to have mystical powers. Known in Thai as “sak yant”, the tattoos are a testament to the complex spiritual makeup of Thai society, incorporating elements of Buddhism, Animism, Brahmanism and Hinduism.
