HandXăm Tattoo tells the story of the nation's cultural heritage through the lines of ink.

The origin story of HandXăm Tattoo

To understand the story of HandXăm, we need to go back to the journey of its founder, Hung Xù. A former master's graduate in hospitality and tourism, Hung spent nearly a decade in the industry, holding a product management position at a large corporation. However, his dream of living with art, especially the art of tattooing, compelled him to give it all up to build HandXăm Tattoo.

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Starting from a personal passion, Hung also harbors a greater aspiration: to create an environment that supports young artists in overcoming social prejudices, living and working with their passion freely, healthily, and sustainably. The name HandXam was also chosen with multiple layers of meaning. "Hand" alludes to the dexterity of the artist's hands, while "Xam" represents the art of tattooing. When combined, "HandXam" is a homonym for "handsome," as if affirming that the tattoos from this studio will make clients more attractive.

But what makes HandXăm special is its artistic focus on traditional Vietnamese culture. This idea originated from artist Hung Xu's travels while working in the tourism industry. In countries like Thailand, Japan, and Indonesia, he realized that tattoo art is not only a personal expression but also a source of national pride. The traditional tattoo designs of Polynesian peoples like the Maori and Samoan all contain profound cultural stories, affirming their unique position on the world art map.

From there, Hung began researching and realized that ancient Vietnamese people also had a tradition of tattooing, but this had faded over time. With a desire to revive it, he transformed HandXam into a place that connects the past and the present, bringing Vietnamese cultural values ​​back through each tattoo.

The art of storytelling through traditional motifs.

HandXăm Tattoo is located at 3 Chau Long Street, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. One of the hallmarks of HandXăm's reputation is its tattoos featuring motifs from the Dong Son bronze drums – a distinctive cultural symbol of ancient Vietnam. These motifs not only possess artistic value but also hold profound meaning. The Lac bird, one of the most popular motifs, represents the aspiration for freedom and a spirit of connection to one's roots. The dancing figures recreate the customs and traditions of the rice-farming civilization, while the sun at the center of the drum symbolizes the ancient Vietnamese belief in worshipping the sun god.

However, to ensure these motifs truly suit modern tattooing styles, the artists at HandXăm constantly explore and innovate. A tattoo not only needs to be beautiful but also harmonious with the body and style of the wearer. The artists always put themselves in the client's shoes, understanding everything from emotions and personality to body structure to design tattoos that are both personal and retain the traditional spirit. For example, the bronze drum motif, when tattooed on a woman's body, requires careful adjustments to enhance its softness and avoid a harsh or rigid appearance.

Beyond just bronze drums, HandXăm continuously expands its creative inspiration from other cultural heritages of Vietnam. From the patterns of the Muong and Thai people to Dong Ho folk paintings, Hang Trong paintings, or elements of the Hue imperial court, each tattoo tells a small story about history and culture. For HandXăm, tattooing is not just a personal art form, but also a way for each person to carry a part of their nation's heritage with them.

The journey of spreading Vietnamese culture.

HandXăm's journey has been fraught with difficulties. At one point, Hung considered closing the shop due to financial pressure. But thanks to the encouragement of friends, especially the advice: "You could work for others and earn more money, but then you wouldn't be able to pursue your dream anymore!", HandXăm overcame the challenges and has increasingly established its position in the tattoo art community.

HandXam's main goal is to put Vietnamese tattoos on the world art map. Ms. Trang, the manager of the tattoo shop, shared: “Vietnamese people are very skillful, and many Vietnamese tattoo artists have become internationally famous, but there is still no style that truly reflects Vietnamese culture. I hope that, through the creative efforts at HandXam, Vietnamese tattoo art will develop further, especially the motifs of the Bronze Drum, so that the Lac Bird, the Sun, and the Lac Viet warriors will become a source of pride for the Vietnamese people and be known worldwide.”

Today, HandXăm Tattoo is not just a tattoo shop, but also a meeting place for those who love art and want to explore Vietnamese culture through each stroke of ink. Each tattoo here is a fusion of beauty and traditional values, a unique story of each customer, and above all, a message of national pride embedded in the art. With nearly a decade of development, HandXăm Tattoo has proven that tattoo art is not just for beautification, but also a way to tell meaningful stories about the people and culture of Vietnam.

Here are some more pictures from the shop:

Gia Huy