Around Town Tattoos: Khattie Q
Erin Randall/KUTThe summer heat has left much of central Texas dry, brown and brittle, but there’s still plenty of color in the Austin landscape thanks to all the tattoos. In fact, it seems like tattoos are flourishing in the extreme temperatures that almost require local residents to show more skin and reveal an alternative take on sleeve length and self expression. Since tattoos have become an inherent characteristic of the Austin environment, it only seems fitting for Storyboard to include them in our Around Town section.
Certainly it can sometimes be rude or uncomfortable to ask about the history of someone’s tattoo, but it’s always interesting to find out the inspiration or circumstances that lead to such a permanent decision. The stories behind tattoos are as diverse as the people themselves, and often say volumes about a person’s personal philosophies and who they once were, are or want to be.
While cooling off at Shipe swimming pool on 45th and Avenue G, local musician Khattie Q talked to us about her tattoos, giving us a chance to get to know her better. She grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to Austin when she was 20 because of the very positive comments about our town from one of her good friends. It turns out; it was the same friend whose indelible influence on Khattie’s life is now displayed on her back in the form of three homemade “stick and poke” tattoos.
While some of Khattie’s tattoos are self-described as “silly”, others mark more serious events and relationships in her life, and many seem like a combination of the two. The duality between funny and serious which is evident in her tattoo choices is also clear in her personality. She got her first tattoo, accompanied by her mother, when she was 16, and funny enough (or “serious” depending on how you look at it) she chose the ultimate symbol of duality, a ying and yang…… it was the 90′s after all.
We hope you enjoy our visit with Khattie Q as much as we did, as we take you Around Town here on Storyboard.
