Phil Ng (USA), bartender, New York

“Whenever people ask me about my tattoos, I tend to give them a short summary of what made me decide to get them. I don’t really want to talk about the complex details behind it, since it usually is a very personal matter. It’s mainly for me, nobody else. If it does occur that a tattoo is linked to someone beside myself, I’m sure that person knows about it. No doubt that the person in case must be very close to me, for me to get them eternalised on my body.

At the end of the day, your tattoos should be something you enjoy seeing on yourself in the mirror. Over the years, the ink has come together to look more and more like a work of art, which I love personally. A good friend got me a tattoo-machine for my birthday and I gave myself one only five minutes after unboxing it. One of my favorite pieces is the Monkey King on my forearm. He’s one of my spirit animals, a guardian spirit characterised by his innocence yet knack for mischief, just like me.”