As Taeyong continues to get more ink, fans continue to wonder about their significance and meaning.
Taeyong disclosed he had gotten his first tattoos whilst on tour in the USA with Super M in 2019. The tattoos were inspired by his artist friend Novo, whose signature UNDeR STAND, adorns a lot of his work. Taeyong stated in a Vlive that he got the tattoos above both his elbows- the left saying “UNDeR” and the right saying “STAND”- because he wanted to understand himself better and he wanted to be an understanding person to others and to the world. Such disclosure was not expected from fans who were appreciative of his openness nonetheless.
Taeyong was then seen sporting a small tattoo on his left inner bicep which turned out to be his dog ‘Ruby’- an inspired tattoo taken from a sketch his sister had created. In another Vlive, Taeyong admitted that he missed his dog and got the tattoo to comfort him and remind him of her. However, once Ruby passed away, Taeyong mentioned that he had wanted to remove the tattoo at some point. (He didn’t elaborate as to why).
Fast forward to mid-2020, and after Taeyong’s brief hiatus, he was seen sporting two more tattoos above his ‘UNDeR’ and ‘STAND’ tattoos. One was an anchor and the other a compass/North Star with the letters S and N. Of course, these could mean north and south however, Taeyong mentioned they meant NCT and Super M. He never gave an explanation for his anchor tattoo, however.
Cue December 2021, and we are conscious that Taeyong has 5 tattoos at this point. That’s why fans were shocked to see Taeyong sporting another three tattoos at the NCT 127 The Link concert. This time it was a large piece on his shoulder – the now infamous RUDE BOY tattoo – his hip the Atom/Astroboy tattoo, and an adaptation to his Ruby tattoo with an added coloured crown. The two large tattoos shocked fans because of their size and the fact that Taeyong made no comments regarding them; he simply turned up on stage with them. Many fans doubted whether they were real, with the RUDE BOY tattoo creating quite a stir online. Some fans were unsure of its provenance or meaning; others like myself knew exactly what the symbolism behind it is, but were very keen to have Taeyong explain his inspiration for it. Thus far, Taeyong has not explained his inspiration or motivation for the Rude Boy tattoo, other than to say that he would do so one day, just not ‘now’- now being during a fan call. Read about the origins of the Rude Boy black and white checkerboard pattern here.
Taeyong did however mention, that the tattoo on his hip was ‘him’ although he did not confirm it was ‘Astroboy’ or ‘Atom’. It is pretty clear however that Atom/Astroboy is what it is. Taeyong appears to identify with Mighty Atom having stated that like the famous robot, he needs a manual to be understood due to the complexity of his character. Read about Taeyong as Astroboy here.
Before fans had a chance to learn more about Rude Boy and Atom, Taeyong was spotted yet again with more ink! This time, a tiny aeroplane on his inner right bicep, and what appears to be a new intricate piece on his left upper arm. The piece appears to be covering his former anchor tattoo and looks very intricate and sizable, with a blue hue. Taeyong was spotted at Novo’s recent exhibition with friend and tattoo artist Dongkyu Lee also known as Q Tattoos, and blue hues and intricate artistic pieces appear to be his signature.
Dongkyu Lee is now based in LA, however, it appears that perhaps, he was the artist that inked that piece on Taeyong’s left arm prior to him departing. If we see the pattern, it looks very familiar to some of Dongkyu’s signature pieces.
At this stage, it’s safe to say that Taeyong has developed a love for body art and an appreciation for the painstaking effort taken to create some of these pieces. As anyone who has tattoos may know, getting tattoos does become quite a hobby and addiction. It was clear when Taeyong got his fifth tattoo, that he would begin to experiment with larger and bolder pieces as he appears to be now.
I know that body art and tattoos are not to everyone’s taste. I understand that some people find them unattractive, painful, or both. However, it is clear that Taeyong has a penchant for them and a real appreciation for using ink to express himself. Just like fashion and accessories, body art to Taeyong is a collection of pieces that reflect who he is at a given moment in time and are permanent art collections he carries with him. As a lover of art, it’s clear that Taeyong finds an appreciation for this type of expression. I for one, cannot wait to hear the inspiration behind his tattoos as they are yet another insight into his evolving character. Just like people want to learn about an artist’s motivation for painting or creating art, I too want to learn more about Taeyong’s choice of body art and the significance it has for him. I just hope he doesn’t leave us waiting for too long!
original article by Sophie K.
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