Dermal piercing

Tattoo and piercing are the ancient and traditional activities that one used to impress on their bodies. It is more like a ritual for a few communities then. But nowadays the trend has become a make-over kind for the NextGen. Hyderabad’s piercing artist Kusuma Kumari Joythi takes this art to the next level.

About being a piercing artist Kusuma shares, “I am a tattoo artist first and wanted to learn the piercing art for a long time and there has been a lot of craze in Hyderabad about tattoo and piercing. Most of the people think that if one is a tattoo artist they would do piercing too, and so people used to approach me for piercing as well. There are very few in India who do dermal piercing. I learnt this art from Rahul Gaikwad of Mumbai who does dermal piercing to the precision.”

Mentioning the time taken for her to learn this art, she says, “For the beginners it is going to take really long time. You need to be aware about everything. For me because I had the idea of this since a long time and I have been a tattoo artist too it took about 15 to 20 days to master it. I did not start off the work immediately but then I practiced it and gradually started working on the piercing art.”

Kusuma, who works at the ‘Inkcraft’ studio, also works on piercing art. Piercing has always been in the trend since generations. But now it has become a Westernised version. “From the long past we can see people from Srikakulam doing the septum piercing. I see that most of the piercing art started from India.

I am not saying that piercing originated from India but partially we have been practicing it since generations. I have seen most of my family members getting the piercing done, not dermal but the normal piercing. This is something that I love working on which is unique.” The artist who has done dermal piercing on Mumaith Khan shares, “I consider my work to be noticed and that is what I like my work to be moved forward.”

Kusuma, who is also interested in art work shares, “I have always been into arts and my dad wanted me to be a doctor for which I was rebellious. I tried out many things in my life like being a hair stylist, make-up artist, visual effects, and animator. I have done all these just to find out my interest.

In India when you are in a middleclass family there would not be anyone who will guide you when you take arts as your career unlike MBBS. You need to figure out what you want to do, for me it is actually a struggle. I am still continuing my studies and pursing my M Sc Psychology.”

About her family being supportive, she shares, “My husband is a doctor and whole of my family are well educated. It took some time for everyone to accept the fact that I want to get into arts. My husband on the other hand has been very supportive about my work.”