Body language: Tattographer Karan’s inked ode to self-love and freedom

Tattographer Karan made headlines in 2017 for being the first Indian to get his eyeballs tattooed. A tattoo artist himself, Karan’s journey of body modification has helped him love every bit of himself. “I experience and enjoy a divine connection with the universe through my body,” Karan tells Bazaar India. “My body is my temple, and I am my own God.” This spiritual relationship that he shares with his flesh and bones speaks of age-old cultures that have honoured the body in similar ways. “Unknowingly, I’ve always treated my body like a teacher might treat their student. I’ve been hard on it when required and extremely caring when needed. As I evolve further, the balance between the two keeps getting solidified.

For the past 15 years, Karan has always been in some sort of a process of pain and recovery—tattoos, surgeries, body modifications, or intense workouts. Through it all, his body has always stood by him. “Even if it was during long drawn tattoo sessions, near death experiences during surgeries, or on motorcycle rides through the Ladakhi highlands in the dead of the night—my body never gave up on me, and that’s what I do for it in return. In short, I worship my body, and it worships me back.” It is needless to say, Karan gets a lot of eyeballs on his body, and there is quite a bit of public scrutiny. "Fortunately, I learnt at a very early age from my father that people will always have scattered opinions. We are not supposed to be scattered because of them, and we can’t operate based on their thinking. Also, no one knows me better than I know myself. I am thankful for the appreciation, and I ignore the hate.” Karan sees his body as a vessel of meat that is his own to decorate and modify as he pleases. That affords him a range of freedom like no other.

But behind the seemingly tough-looking exterior, he is quite soft-hearted and deeply emotional. “I am very contrasting to the way I look. I am pretty sensitive. I am still discovering some of my strengths and weaknesses, but I do believe I have found a perfect balance of masculinity and femininity in me.” Karan is not shy of his radical love for himself and the utter joy he derives from being in his own company. “I fly solo!” he says. “I like to travel solo, I work out alone in my own gym, and I also like working alone at my tattoo studio. I love being by myself.” Karan’s love for his body also translates to his tattooing practice. “I make sure I take care of the person getting inked while we both meditate through the artwork being created.” Through it all, Karan doesn’t have any intentions to grow up like the rest of the world does. “I am just a kid. A kid who dreams and the man who turns those dreams into reality,” he says.

Lead image credit: Ankur Maniar, Saurabh Bishwas, Agnidhra Ray

This article first appeared in Harper's Bazaar India, August 2024, print edition. 

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