By Kate Harrold
THIS MAN has spent over NINE-THOUSAND-POUNDS tattooing his entire body black after becoming ‘fascinated with the pain’ – and now plans to cover his TONGUE and remove his NIPPLES.
Carer, Yannick Rick (25), from Chur, Switzerland, has always had an interest in tattoos but this intensified when he was 19 years old. After seeing a man on the beach with full body tattoos, Yannick decided that this was a look he wanted to sport himself.
Since then, Yannick has spent £9,200 (€10,000) achieving the look which is known as ‘blackwork.’ Whilst this now covers the majority of his body, Yannick originally committed to covering a single arm in 2016.
Happy with the outcome and fascinated by the pain, Yannick visited a tattoo parlour known as the ‘Brutal Black Project,’ and spent a further three days undergoing tattoo work on the rest of his body. Since the project started, Yannick has spent 400-hours under the needle.
Yannick’s unusual look garners stares from strangers whilst online, people have remarked that the tattoos are ‘ugly,’ and have asked if Yannick is ‘mentally ill.’ Fortunately, his tattoos have not affected his job although residents at the care home have told him to wash his ‘dirty’ hands or asked if the tattoos will shower off.
For Yannick, his weekly tattoo sessions have made him feel much more in touch with his body. They also provide him with a sense of invigoration – claiming it’s his version of retail therapy.
Yannick is planning to start work on his palms and the soles of his feet soon before moving onto his mouth and tongue.
“When I was nineteen, I saw a man at the beach with tattoos covering the majority of his body. I started researching different designs and I came across blackwork,” Yannick said.
“I decided I wanted to have a fully black arm. A friend of mine introduced me to a tattoo artist who could do this and within three sessions, my arm was black.
“I was fascinated by the pain and the healing. I knew I wanted to do something more extreme so I underwent a further three days of blackwork.
“It cost around ten-thousand euros and took around four-hundred hours.
“My friends and family were a little bit surprised at first but they knew it interested me so it’s normal to them now. So many people are fascinated by what I do and want to know the meaning behind it.
“Online I get the odd negative comments from people. Some people think it’s shocking or ugly, as they’ll ask if I’m mentally ill. Funny looks tend to be the main response.
“At the retirement home I work at, residents ask me what the black is. They think my hands are dirty, or they’ll ask if it’ll go away once I’ve had a shower.
“I guess it does make it more difficult to find a job, but I’ve been able to manage and I’m finding that people are more and more accepting of tattooed people.
“Dating hasn’t changed. Sure, there are women who don’t like this extreme look but some find it interesting.”
Yannick was able to keep his tattooing costs down as he learnt to create some of the ‘blackwork’ himself. He’s since developed an interest in body modifications and now has several scars too.
Known as scarification, the decorative scars are created with a scalpel, and plastic wrap is used to delay the healing process to increase the effect. He’d like to continue this exploration of body mods by removing his nipples.
“I first tried to create some scars myself but they got infected, so I went to a professional,” Yannick said.
“You can feel the scars through the blackwork which I really like. If I feel bad or down, I’ll go and get a new scar or tattoo. It’s become my hobby.
“I’d like to tattoo my palms and the soles of my feet next followed by my mouth and tongue. Then, I want to remove my nipples and get some white ink.
“I feel so much more in touch with my body. I know which areas are more sensitive and which are not, and I’ve learnt how to make certain areas of my body feel better.
“It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done to my body.”
For more, see @theevilblackout.
