Borneo Headhunter

Images courtesy of Borneo Headhunters

As crappy a show as CBS’s “Survivor” was, one good thing it did was introduce the masses to Borneo, the world’s third largest island.

Partitioned into three separate countries, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, this Southeast Asian island is home to a number of tribes that have different languages and cultures, but one common custom: the tradition of putting ink in the skin.

Ernesto Kalum is doing his bit to keep this tradition alive. His Borneo Headhunters Tattoo Studio, located in Kuching, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, is booming thanks, in part, to his business acumen and artistic skills. But it takes more than a savvy business head and good hands to draw the kinds of crowds Kalum attracts; people come to him because they want something truly authentic.

While most tattoo artists in the States learn to use their guns through apprenticeship, Kalum spent years studying traditional tattoo “tapping” under the tutelage of his Iban tribal elders before going on to master the modern tattoo machines. The accolades for his art are numerous, but the ones he covets most are the H.R. Giger Awards for both the Best Tribal and Respect to the Culture categories, which he won in 2001 at the International Tattoo Convention in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Young, intelligent, and eminently personable (with a law degree from the UK, no less), Ernesto is the new keeper-of-the-keys for this facet of Borneo’s manifold cultural treasures.

Theme: Are you of Dayak or Iban descent? Tell us a little about the difference in culture between the two.
Ernesto Kalum: Dayak was a general term given by the British colonial powers (Sarawak was a British colony between 1841 and 1963), to categorize the (people now known as) Ibans. The word “Iban” means “man” or “person.” Names of rivers were usually used to determine the origins of people. Some of those include, Saribas, Engkari Padeh, Rejang, Julau, etc. No specific tribal names were used in the old days. I am of Iban origin from the Saribas riverine.

Tell us about your artwork, and how it’s different from Western tattoos.
Iban tattoos are abstract and monotone. They are made up of shapes that take form in myth and reality, in harmony with our perceptions of nature. These shapes evolve with our views over time. This is a fact I’ve come to understand through researching the evolution of Iban tattoos over the last 150 years or so. Folklore, chants, actual tattoos, and archival pictures of tattoos illustrate this evolution. There are few Iban wisemen left who have in-depth knowledge [of this aspect of the culture].

You say “few”—does that mean it’s slipping away, then?
I’ve been working on a book on Iban tattoos for the past five years. I see tattoos as the culture of my people, and if it is not saved for prosperity, it will fade away and die. I know for sure that it will never be the same as it was through the ages, but at least I can keep it alive by tattooing all that it stands for in keeping with the spirit of “bejalai,” which means “journey of wisdom.” Tattoos are considered a traveling souvenir or diary.

Tell us about the difference between “tapping” and using machines in tattooing.
The traditional tapping method, using a wooden needle and mallet, are similar to those used in Samoa, Polynesia, and by the Maori. Electric machines work in a similar way, just compacted and run by electromagnetic coils. My preference is the traditional method because it is very personal, between me and the client. I feel like I’m giving my direct energy and focus towards them as opposed to the mechanical method. Furthermore it is a method used for thousands of years, so the cultural value is of course higher.

You are one of the few web- and tech-savvy tattoo artists in Southeast Asia. How has the internet affected your business?
The web is a powerful tool, and if used properly it helps a lot in the modern world. The world in a square box…amazing. It has helped me gain some international exposure, and helped me to promote Iban culture.

Have you seen any change in the way society perceives tattoos in Sarawak and the rest of Malaysia?
Society chooses to see what it thinks fit for the world, right or wrong. I just do what I do best and mind my own business. I stay away from all politics and keep my tattoo culture clean, free from all negative influences or energy.

What do you see yourself doing in ten years, and how do you see your business growing?
I live by the day, because I believe that life is short. I live every day as if it were my last.

What is your fantasy project?
To organize an international tattoo convention to raise funds to help dying cultures. Perhaps the United Nations or UNESCO will help me achieve this, and of course I hope tattoo artists from all walks of life as well. I think we should give back to the cultures that made us who or what we are today.

http://www.borneoheadhunter.com