It’s in our nature to personalise the things we care about and that define us, from custom motorcycles to fashion accessories to body art. But what would the results be if one of the most progressive tattooists on the scene was given full artistic licence to let her imagination run wild on a unique design for a BMW motorcycle seat? Meet Sasha Unisex, who is creating an extraordinary piece of contemporary art for an extraordinary motorcycle – the BMW S 1000 XR.
It’s a novel idea with a lot of potential. Not everyone wants to have a tattoo permanently etched on their skin, but what if you could commission a special design of your choosing for your motorcycle seat? If it works on skin, it should also work perfectly on leather, right? Not only would this expression of individuality make your motorcycle stand out from the crowd, but the seat itself is a portable, travelling work of art that makes your bike, well and truly your bike. Even better, if your tastes change over time and you like to change bikes often, then it’s a simple process to commission a new design on a new seat – something you can’t do with your own body and a lot easier than getting a ‘cover-up’, as it is known in the industry.
Over in Moscow, Sasha Unisex has gained a reputation for her fresh, experimental tattoo work that has a dreamy, picture-book quality to it. Her studio in the old Red October factory is full of her watercolour paintings – the starting point for each unique design concept that will be transformed from paper and brought to life on skin – or in this case, leather. These paintings are used as the inspiration for what will become living artworks, subtle ‘watercolour’ tattoos that are increasingly trending worldwide for their abstract nature, contrasting colour patterns, and three-dimensional shapes and shading.
“My art is a mixture of inspiration and the sublime,” says Sasha. “Through my particular approach to the art of tattooing I create watercolour paintings and then translate them into vibrant and contemporary tattoos, building a bridge between geometry and a fairytale story. If someone wants me to make a special tattoo, I always try to get to know this person in depth, as this is the only way I can recreate a part of their soul.”
Fotos und Video: Markus Hofmann
Autor: Andy Dukes I BMW Motorrad I VÖ: Full Magazin
