Think Ink

THE PARTY It was perhaps one of the most eclectic crowds seen at the Honolulu Museum of Art for an opening. (Think ladies who lunch brushing past broad-shouldered men with quite a few tattoos.) The reason for the diversity of looks was the much-anticipated invitation-only debut of Tattoo Honolulu, a showcase of some of the islands’ top tattooists, all brought together by the museum’s curators. THE HIGHLIGHTS While guests sipped on liquid libations and showed off slip-on tattooed sleeves—the perfect accessory for those not yet ready for the needle—the real show was within the gallery, where larger-than-life portraits of the artists’ subjects were revealed. Of course, heads turned when the subjects walked past in person—fully dressed! THE PLAYERS Museum Director Stephen Jost; chairperson Lynne Johnson; Honolulu Museum of Art’s curators and donors; and the exhibition’s tattoo artists, including Joel Albanez, Tricia Allen, Bong, Mike Ledger, Keone Nunes, Richie Lucero, Lucky Olelo, Sado, Sua Suluape Toetu‘u, Aisea and Billy Whitney. Photography by Jonas Maon