So Basu waxes eloquence on the weather and the latest Bollywood release, as a small crowd of tattoo enthusiasts wait eagerly outside his one-room tattoo parlour in Salt Lake — a crowd, which, not very surprisingly, comprises teenagers and twenty-somethings. “The tattoo scene in Kolkata is basically about young college students and professionals. It’s yet to seep into the older age groups,” Basu says.

Raja Payne, who has been in the profession for the past four years, agrees. “In 2004, when I started tattooing out of parlours, there was hardly any awareness about the art in the city. The few people who wanted a tattoo, would head for Mumbai and Goa. Today, things have changed a lot, but Kolkata is yet to catch up with the more happening metros,” claims Payne.

However, it’s also true that the city plays host to many outstation clients who flock to Kolkata, enticed by the reputations of the small but talented group of tattoo artists in the city. “Over the years, Kolkata artists have gained quite a reputation. Last week a client from Mumbai flew down to get a tattoo done by me,” says Payne. Add to it the fact that tattoo artists in Kolkata settle for lesser price for their art than a Mumbai or Goa artist and you will understand why the city is slowly emerging as a tattoo hotspot. “We charge less because the tattoo industry here is still a fledgling one. The idea is to promote the art,” claims Sambuddha De, a freelance tattoo artist.

Word-of-mouth publicity ensures that the likes of Payne and Basu flourish. “On average we get about 15-20 customers per month. Most of them get a tattoo and then spread a good word,” adds De. Some tattoo artists employ innovative means to reach out to their target customers. “I have started an Orkut community on tattoo to create awareness. I get hundreds of queries everyday, and every now and then a query translates into business,” says Bitan Biswas, a tattoo artist and moderator of the Tattoo Lovers Kolkata, Orkut Community.

But the level of awareness in the city leaves a lot to be desired, feels Biswas. “Most of my clients want safe tattoos. They want it in a place, which can easily be covered up. They claim that they want to maintain their image.” A fact that clearly upsets the tattoo artist. “Why hide it when you have taken the pains to get it. A tattoo is a piece of art, which is meant to be flaunted. A lot of artistic integrity goes into it. We, after all, have to work on a canvas that bleeds. This kind of mentality is very distressing for us,” claims Biswas.