Ramadhan Romeo Nsabimana has found a niche in tattoo making and strives to stay professional, putting the health of his clients at the core. As a graduate in sciences (particularly Biology), he is aware that tattoo making is not just about the art of drawing on someone's skin but also taking care of it. I have learned about the human body and medicine. A tattoo is not only about art because as an artist, you also deal with the human body, hence to do it better requires you to have some medical knowledge, he said. Someone like me who learned about healthcare cannot do it the same way as someone who didn't. Nsabimana asserts that one needs to know which layer of the skin a tattoo is drawn onto, explaining that some artists piece even the innermost layer which causes the skin to stretch. His uniqueness, he said, relies upon how he makes tattoos faster and better. The tattoo artist who is also a painter and a wall designer said that he unearthed his talent for drawing when he was in primary school. I used to draw different things on board. Those include cartoons for comic stories, he said. In 2010 when he was 13, he nurtured an interest to become a tattoo artist after being inspired by one. I went to see a tattoo artist and realised he was using a machine he had fabricated himself. I asked him if I could also make one and when he said I could, he also guided me, explained Nsabimana. He disclosed that he used a dynamo from a DVD player, a fork and a pen to fabricate his own tattoo machine. It was sticking tattoos really well, he asserts, adding that the first person he tattooed was his friend whom he drew a picture of Lil Wayne. At the time, he was a student at EAV Mayaga, Nyanza district. Nsabimana says that in 2016, he bought his first standard tattoo machine and started making tattoos professionally. When asked about the mindset of Rwandans concerning tattoos, he noted that it has changed given that back in days, it was a challenge for someone to have a tattoo due to societal norms. It is now on a good level compared to how things were before, he said. If one opens a studio and people come in on appointments without doubting the service, it shows the progress. Nsabimana also noted: tattoos were regarded as something for young people but today, people of different age groups approach us. They have understood that one can have a tattoo of a Bible verse or a photo of a loved one they lost to keep the memories. The young artist is currently making a living from his job and seeks to achieve his dreams through it. He plans to own a studio and open a tattoo class that provides training to those in need.
