Millau. With “Tata Pik”, inking as a rebirth after cancer

Ink as therapy. To reclaim your body, its scars and its history. As Pink October began yesterday, the Millau tattoo artist known under the pseudonym “Tata Pik” took the road towards Bordeaux to take part in the Rose Tattoo. An event anchored in the main theme of October, namely breast cancer screening awareness month, Rose Tattoo offers women an artistic reconstruction tattoo after a mastectomy. “Tata Pik”, whose real name is Anne-Laure Brion, looks back, not without emotion, on her entry into Sœurs d’Encre, the association organizing the event.

Tattoo artists selected with care

“I have been following the association for a long time. But I was waiting to have a little more bottle in my pocket before launching myselfexplains the one who has been decorating skins for seven years. In March-April, I contacted Sœurs d’Encre with a book. I met the organizers and they included me in the project. I was super happy, but above all full of gratitude.”

The association receives many requests from artists. Only a handful of them are retained. “There is a validation to enter the associationunfolds Laura Kastel, one of the two employees of Sœurs d’Encre, responsible for the tattoo and disability department. There is a minimum of experience required. We are very vigilant in the selection of tattoo artists and the quality of their work. Our audience is women who have, after all, been quite upset. The artistic work must live up to their expectations.”

And what about artistic flair? “We approach tattoo artists who correspond in their style to the requests which are around the floral or the ornamental. This is what best adapts to scars or to the place of the breast, when there are none more.”

The Norman adopted by Millau will therefore tattoo the chest and back of Nathalie, a woman who underwent surgery after breast cancer. “Sœurs d’Encre put us in touch. We talked a lot, particularly about her journey which really touched me. I’m happy to participate in this project, especially since there will be a crazy sorority”unfolds the trained illustrator and graphic designer.

A 100% feminine day

On site, only tattoo artists. “It is by choice, pleads Laura Kastel. Women often have “not very clean” reconstructions. During Rose Tattoo we have many requests from women who have had reconstruction problems, rejections. So they no longer have reconstruction at the volume that is possible. So, the only reconstruction that there will be is artistic tattooing. As a matter of modesty and out of respect for all these women, we decided not to have a male tattoo artist.” Trained in artistic and therapeutic tattooing, there will be sixty of them, over three days, pricking the skin of sixty women. “We had training provided by a surgeon from the associationrembobine Anne-Laure Brion. By video, for two hours, she explained to us breast surgery, the different types of reconstruction, and everything that cannot be tattooed. We can call on his advice whenever there is the slightest doubt.”

Financially, women who have had breast cancer with surgery, mastectomy or not, can benefit from an artistic tattoo covered by the association, offered by one of the tattoo artists.

For Anne-Laure Brion, “all of this makes sense in relation to my job. I like to bring gentleness. But what I was looking forward to most was Nathalie’s smile when she discovered her tattoo.”

After a few discussions and information gathering, the pattern took shape. “The tattoo will be inspired by her wedding bouquet, but also by flowers that relate to her personal story.”

The work required a few hours of work and Nathalie discovered the result on the big day. “A day for her”smiles and concludes “Auntie Pik”.