BLINK ARTIST GUIDE

Akimitsu Takagi & Pascal Bagot

Pascal Bagot is a French journalist based in Lyon, who has been fascinated by Japanese tattoo culture since 2006. This passion led him to set off to have his entire back tattooed, using the traditional tebori technique, by hand, by Tokyo master tattooist Horitoshi I. During the eight years of this project, he interviewed many Japanese tattoo artists, both traditional and modern (Horitoshi I, Horiyoshi III, Gifu Horihide, Yokosuka Horihide, Horitada, etc.). These interviews, published in specialist magazines, help to spread knowledge of the art of horimono (or irezumi, shisei, among the various Japanese names for traditional tattooing), while at the same time consolidating his expertise. In 2009, he wrote and co-directed a documentary on the subject entitled The Way of Ink . The film delves into this underground world, meeting those involved in Tokyo and questioning the taboo surrounding an art form that was once so popular. In 2014, he was scientific advisor for the exhibition Tatou