106-Year-Old Filipino Tattooist, Vogue’s Oldest Cover
Vogue Philippines featured Apo Whang-Od on the cover of their latest issue, making the 106-year-old tattoo artist the oldest person ever to grace the cover of Vogue.
Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay, is a mambabatok or traditional indigenous tattoo artist from the remote mountain town of Buscalan. It is approximately 15 hours north of Manila, the capital of Kalinga Province.
She is the oldest trainee. Centuries old batok tattoo technique, hand tapping using sticks and thorns.
“Known as the last Mambabatok of her generation, she has carved the Kalinga symbol of strength, courage and beauty into the skin of thousands of people who first set foot in Buscalan,” Vogue Philippines posted on Instagram on Friday. wrote on Instagram. (March 31).
