Vogue Philippines revealed Apo Whang-Od as the cover star of its April issue, a move that makes the 106-year-old Filipino tattoo artist the oldest person to grace the cover of Vogue.
Whang-Od – also known as Maria Oggay – has been perfecting the art of hand tattooing since she was a teenager, learning under her father’s instructions.
Living in the mountainous village of Buscalan, about 15 hours north of Manila in Kalinga province, she is considered the mambabatok – or traditional Kalinga tattoo artist – oldest in the country.
Once upon a time, the hand-drawn tattoos that Whang-Od creates using only a bamboo stick, a thorn from a pomelo, water and charcoal, were conquered by indigenous Butbut warriors.
Now, international visitors seeking his unique geometric designs make up a large part of his clientele.
“Hailed as the last mambabatok of her generation, she imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe – meaning strength, bravery and beauty – into the skin of thousands of people who made the pilgrimage to Buscalan,” Vogue Philippines said in a post on social media.
The art can only be passed down to blood relatives, and Whang Od trained his great-nieces Elyang Wigan and Grace Palicas for several years.
“(My friends who got tattoos) are now dead,” Whang Od told CNN in 2017. “I’m the only one alive who still gets tattoos. But I am not afraid that the tradition will end because (I am training) the next tattoo masters”.
“The tradition will continue as long as people keep getting tattoos,” he added. “As long as I can see well, I will continue to get tattoos. I’ll stop as soon as my vision gets blurry.”
Vogue Philippines Editor-in-Chief Bea Valdes said the publication’s staff unanimously decided that Whang-Od should illustrate the cover.
“We felt that it represented our ideals of what is beautiful in our Filipino culture. We believe that the concept of beauty needs to evolve and include diverse and inclusive faces and shapes. What we hope to talk about is the beauty of humanity,” added Valdes.
Before Whang-Od appeared on Vogue Philippines, the record for oldest Vogue cover model was held by actress Judi Dench, who graced the cover of British Vogue in 2020 at age 85.
*With information from Kate Springer.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
