I was never a fan of jewelry but I've always been a fan of art.... I choose my tattoo artists and I tell them “make me beautiful with your art”. What can I say, some women go to Tiffany’s. I go to tattoo studios. That's what tattoo is to me; a way to appreciate art and carry it with you anytime anywhere. It kind of makes my life beautiful looking at them every day just like you would go to an art gallery with beautiful artwork and make your eyes and soul happy.
Name: Hasti Lessani.
Profession: 3D Animation Student.
Residence: Athens.
Hasti wears ladies T-shirt and shorts by WESC.
Hasti wears Chess St by Koubi (www.koubi.gr) and shorts by WESC.
My first tattoo is the shoulder blade one. I had that done on the 23rd of May 2011. That’s the beginning of my tattoo journey. The beginning of the new me and my new life. A second chance in life was given to me after my car accident and I took the decision to remind myself to cherish life every day with something as permanent as a tattoo!
Basically my idea was to represent rebirth, my guardian angel, strength and beauty in one image. The lotus flowers represent my personal rebirth, my second chance in life, the horse represents my strength getting through this and seeing the beauty of life no matter the circumstances and the wings represent my guardian angel. The doctors kept saying “your guardian angel was with you”.
I always loved tattooed people and I admired their balls for it. So when I finally took the decision to go for it I tried to choose a place that if I regretted it even 1% I could hide it and never see it... Of course I was so happy with the results and I loved my new tattoo. The only disappointment was that I could never see it without a mirror.
I decided to do another one, a bigger one and on a more daring spot. My arm started on the 10 of July 2011 by a Polish tattoo artist in Cyprus, Kompi. He has done my entire sleeve except for my fist tattoo. The girl is sort of a mirror reflection of me, a middle eastern princess with big eyes and big lips but in a form of a cartoon. It might sound narcissistic but I call it being happy with myself and my roots.
All my life I have been a video gamer, anime, cartoon and comic lover so when it came to choosing what to study I chose comic and cartoon and further I combined it with 3d animation and visual effects and therefore when it came to choose what tattoos I should get for my sleeve I knew it would be Tim Burton. I love his work I respect him as an artist and his unique way and ideas in putting a movie and a story together. So for my second one (21st August 2011) I basically did my favorite animation by Tim Burton, “Corpse Bride” and transformed it into the ending I would want to give, because I was kind of bummed when I saw the ending. I’ve seen it over and over, I think I have watched it more than 30 times. Emily and Victor didn't end up together sadly so what I did was represent him, her and their dog in a picture frame with a heart above them. Ιn my little version of it they lived happily ever after by all odds even though she was a corpse.
Μy third tattoo, made the 27th of September 2011, was “The Nightmare before Christmas” and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, also on my arm. I don't have a certain reason for doing them I liked the characters and I did it. Since my sleeve concept is based on animation I wanted a piece of my favorite heroes and villains.
My fourth tattoo would be my chest tattoo by George Mavridis of Tattooligans made on the 26th of December 2012. It is a work in progress. It is a deer, a male one in fact. The reason I did it is because it’s near my heart and deer is an animal that will fight until death for his love even if that love lasts for one mating season, but still... And also a deer has all his mighty power is his antlers which fall off every fall and grow back, so to cut a long story short, basically, I want it to remind me to fight with no boundaries for things and people I love and remember in my heart that no matter how hard life hits me and leaves me with nothing, I will rise again. What we call the rise and fall; unbreakable!
My fifth tattoo was done on the 25th of February 2013. It is the rose on my neck done by Kostas Baronis at Proki tattoo. I just like the flower and I liked the position. I find it very sexy and attractive for a woman and I did it. But to be honest it was one of the hardest decisions to take… Now I love it and it is one of my favorites and I just can’t imagine my neck without it.
My 6th tattoo is my fist tattoo by Uncle Paul from One Love tattoo studio made on the 20th of April 2013. Uncle is a friend and I admire his talent. He can pre sketch anything you ask him in less than 15 minutes and everything is custom so I asked for a Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. The reason I love this cat is because he is psychedelic and he is always happy and basically he just goes with the flow. I want it to remind me every day that when I wake up with problems, I should smile and take life easy.
And the last but not least- be sure that I won’t stop until I die and I’ll take my life’s story, passions and ideas to the grave with me and no one can take that from me - is the Ram on my lower stomach and “womanhood” done on the 14th of May 2013. It is also in progress done by Alex Gotza “my God” in New Traditional tattoos. I love his work, I actually adore his work! It doesn't mean anything really beside the symbolism a ram has in ancient history and Greek mythology but that is not the reason I did it. As a child and in my late teens I was a heavy metal lover and I would draw a ram every now and then. It has a darkness to it and I like that. It manipulates people and doesn't let them see through it.
I feel that everyone sees my tattoos and they judge and no one really thinks that you can be the sweetest and kindest person.... Tough on the outside caring and sensitive on the inside.
HeartbeatInk would like kindly to thank Coral Hotel (35 Possidonos Ave. 210 9816441) for the hospitality and the realisation of the photoshoot and Fotis Zoumas for the help.
Photos by Ino Mei.
