It’s in 1994 that Safwan ventures into the tattoo world. After studying Anthropology, numerous martial arts competitions and years of « terror rock », singer and leader of the famous punk band « Banlieue Rouge » and « Akuma ». He opens his first shop in 1997, on Prince Arthur street on the plateau of Montréal, with no doubt the nicest « quartier » of town, at the bottom of Mont-Royal, with loads of very in restaurants and bars.
Other Tattooists will accompany him in those years, all with a common objective : the tattoo artistic evolution. The Imago crew will stay on the same street for at least fifteen years before opening in 2012 one of the most beautiful shops of Montreal on Saint Laurent street. A superb open space where 7 tattoo artists work and greet many guests. The huge space presents sublime works many artists on the walls, an art gallery atmosphere, most agreable for the clients getting a tattoo. It helps pass the time to look at all the pictures while getting inked for long hours.
Safwan is very attached to his town and his district. For this quebecois of egyptian descent, Montreal is an anomaly on the north american continent. A lot of canadian cultural movements started here. It’s indisputably a marginal city. A highly cosmopolitan population, tolerant, relaxed atmosphere, with no aggressiveness, make Montréal a really attractive town. The district life is unique for a conglomeration of this scale. Paradoxically, it’s also a very extreme city, the night outs, the nocturnal bars, dancers, very hot nightclubs, the looks (Zombie Boy is from the suburb of Montreal for example), the temperatures with minus 25C° in winter, and more than 35C° in summer. It’s also the city of Street-art with gigantic frescos all over town and a mural festival in which the IMAGO crew participates this year with loads of tattoo sticker printings. It’s a town which feels good to live in concludes Safwan.
We can find many different graphic styles among the Imago Tattooists. Safwan works in a in-between new school and traditional american style. A super solid line and bright colors, often with classical themes. He also does japanese style tattoos, respecting the codes and culture of japanese tattoo. A universe he particularly likes. In the early days, he discovers in the few magazines available in newsstands at the time, Filip Leu and Tin-tin, who motivated him to draw his own tattoos for his clients. At the time, it was common to pick a model in a catalogue that was then traced and so could be reproduced as many times as one should see fit. Greg Irons, symbolic artist from San Francisco is for Safwan the best example of the junction between modern illustration and tattoo. This tattoo and drawing genius who took part of the cartoon « Yellow Submarine » of the Beatles is a huge influence for Safwan with amongst others his drawing collection « The rime of the ancient mariner ». Comic books authors such as Mark Schultz and William Stout, only to cite a couple, are also inspirations for him.
Safwan loves the technical aspect and mechanical parts of tattoo machines. He’s so passionate about them that he collects them, he has more than a hundred. The road to get to build them wasn’t long. He made his first « tattoo gun » in 2002 and takes so much pleasure in building some that he’ll never stop making them. He makes everything in his little workshop, well equipped, hand made machines.
This globe trotter bucaneros participates in numerous conventions in the entire world. We ran into him in London, Milan, Barcelona, Calgary, Copenhagen, Paris etc… His friendly nature and gift of gab means he makes friends easily who regularly do guest sessions in his shop, such as Erin Chance, Jee Sayalero, Dimitri Hk, Steph D., Gian of « XXX Tattoo » in Luzern (Rob koss’ shop). Dustin Bones who passed away three years ago used to come as well, our thoughts go out to him and his family.
We can also find other artists at Imago who accompany Safwan. Nat Jean, Motörhead and frankenstein fan, makes crazy pieces in a traditional american and japanese style. Val day, unicorn collector, inks in a neo trad universe. Hugues Lauzier, renowned skater, works in old school and traditional oriental style. Nima the weight lifter, lifts tons of new school and realistic tattoos. And to finish the actual team, Greg Laraigné, loves to do letterings, and classical thin lines tattoos like flowers, birds or neojapanese in a very illustrated manner. Jean Michel Manutea, tribal marquesan specialist, native american or samoa, will leave the team soon to live his own adventure and will be replaced by Zema… To be continued.
About the projects in the near future, Safwan is preparing the festivities for Imago’s 20th anniversary and shouldn’t take long to release his art book on the ATC tattoo application, which is eagerly awaited.
A wonderful team in the most beautiful shop implanted in the coolest district in the most wonderful north american town who makes the most beautiful tattoos. What more can you ask ? If ever you come around, don’t deprive yourself from paying them a visit. You will be warmly welcomed by Sophie, their manager, with her legendary sympathy, she will know how to advise you on the artists of the studio. Leave with the best memory Montreal has to offer : a tattoo from IMAGO. Report DHK, translation James C.
