一蓮托生｜MESSAGE

My pseudo-name Horiren is a reflection of my belief in tattoos.
Irezumi, or tattoos, are defined as marks featuring an indelible design by inserting pigment into punctures in the skin［＊］.By inserting pigment into the punctures, tattoo artists invariably put an indelible mark on human beings. Though indelible, it nonetheless has a life. As the skin ages, the initial vibrant colour loses its original freshness.

My work is destined to fade away, as the person ages, as in flowers wilt.
Nothing is left after the human body perishes. This is the reality.
There is no eternity. Yet this transience itself is a representation of what makes our life beautiful.

There is a saying in Japanese “Ichiren-takusho” .
It means to be together throughout life until death, whether it may be in hardship or happiness.
Originally the saying came from the Buddhist belief that sees the human race on a bed of lotus flowers after death. Thus, Ichiren-takusho alternatively means to share the same bed of lotus flowers in paradise after death.

My name Horiren takes the word “ren” , or lotus flower, from Ichiren-takusho.
When I decided upon my name, I swore to live up to the devotion of marking each one’ s life on their skin, and to share the same lotus flower with those who live and die bearing my work.
I train myself everyday so that my work may inspire those who will be responsible for heightening our technique over the next generation.
My lotus flower will fully bloom after my work becomes a seed for them.
［＊］- The Concise Oxford English Dictionary