Creative Baguio: Tattoo Artist Rommel ‘Toto’ Quinque and the Youngblood Flair

The tattoo gun’s buzz messes up my goosebump-laden skin. I’m not even the one having a tattoo, it’s just that the sound of the machine gives me trickle amounts of a scare. That’s the story of my life—a grown-ass adult who’s afraid of needles. Gradually, though, my fears subsided as I sat down with Rommel “Toto” Quinque, a young tattoo artist based in Baguio City, for a conversation about why I should not flip the hell out when having a tattoo.

Jokes aside, we all know someone who has a tattoo. The beauty of that piece of art on your skin reflects the artist’s essence, making you a living tapestry of their work. At 24 years old, Toto believes in giving you a tattoo that you’ll surely love—with purpose and meaning tied into it. He’s fairly new in the tattoo business, but he’s damn good at it.

His foray into the painful but worthwhile art of tattooing began in 2014, after putting off for some time. He always had a knack for painting, drawing, and design as a kid, but Toto believes that the skin is the best surface to showcase one’s art. “Mas magiging maingat ka kapag gumagawa ka sa balat. Hindi katulad sa canvas, kahit medyo may kamali ka, pwede mong baguhin. Kapag sa balat, mas mahirap siyang trabahuin, so dapat mas maingat ka,” Toto says.

Toto’s Humble Beginnings

Of course, as with every novice, Toto started off using tools that he made on his own, eventually upgrading to a full set of tattoo equipment. He remembers the feeling of intense joy and pride mixed in with relief when Toto did his first tribal tattoo design. It’s like the freedom that one feels when they first learn to ride a bike (especially if they were late to the party). But Toto’s skill and artistry were never held back as he kept on pushing to learn better through stenciling and looking up various designs from his co-tattoo artists. This allowed him to form his own style, later on becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Training was intense. Like a newly-enlisted soldier dropped smack dab in the middle of the battlefield, Toto learned to articulate and design by applying it straight onto human skin. Some tattoo artists would start from pig’s skin or skin pads, but Toto wanted to up his game by diving right into it. He also drew heavy inspiration from veteran Pinoy tattoo artist Ricky Sta. Ana.

But what piqued my interest with Toto is the way he deconstructs the overly-manly-man-bordering-intimidating tattoo artist stereotype. He’s got a couple of tattoos on him (more on that later), but he exudes a calm and cool demeanor. You’d know that he’s a tattoo artist upon meeting him for the first time, but there’s something about Toto that makes you feel less scared of the impending doom to be unleashed on your skin. In other words, his personality makes you feel chill.

Meaning & Purpose

When a barber has to have his haircut, he doesn’t do it himself. Same thing with the tattoo artist. If he puts a new ink on himself, another artist would do it for him. But not Toto. All his inks were designed and applied on his own. But this is not for him to claim as his branding only; Toto wants to feel the pain before his clients are inked.

“Mas gusto ko muna kasing i-feel siya sa sarili ko para pag kung nagtanong na customer kung masakit, masasabi ko kung ano yung ramdam nung sakit,” Toto explains.

And just like how most tattoos have meanings behind it, Toto inks himself with art that screams out who he is. His left arm has the image of a Gorilla, symbolizing Toto’s Chinese zodiac and his desire to be braver every day. It’s important to have meaning and purpose behind every tattoo. But sometimes, when a customer wants a design that’s haphazardly thought of, or just for the sake of having a tattoo, Toto stresses the need to have a story or symbolism behind it. Even though Toto would gladly perform the tattoo on your skin even if it doesn’t have a symbolic meaning, he sees to it that the ink would match your personality or aesthetic.

“Nakikita ko rin kasi kung bagay oh hindi eh. Kasi merong mga customer na magbibigay ng design at ine-expect nila na ikaw gagawin mo na lang,” says Toto. “Ako kasi sasabihin ko talaga minsan ‘mas maganda kung lakihan natin’ para mas bagay sa parte ng katawan na paglalagyan,”

Well, he’s not wrong. I have a few friends who had a beautiful design in mind, but it ended up looking weird on them because of how big they wanted it to be. A tattoo is not just about the design and execution—sometimes size does matter.

As I watched Toto design a tattoo and apply it on the skin, I saw how he gracefully navigated his way through the linings and color it with perfect precision. With just five years of experience, he already has the hand of a master tattoo artist. And one thing that eased my fear is how Toto wants everything to be as clean and sterile as it can be. There’s no room for error—both on the tattoo and how he cleans his equipment.

Toto is a good example of how Baguio’s artists make up a diverse set of talents and abilities. Sure, he’s still young, but Toto has the know-how of someone who’s been dabbling in tattoo art for years. And that’s not because of the pressure to earn or the need to prove something to himself. It’s just the way he’s wired. Tattooing is more than a business for Toto, it’s where he can express his handiwork in a way that makes the person getting inked feel a bit more special being a display of what he can do.

 

I asked him how artists should be like as a Creative City. What Toto gave me was enough to shatter my fear of needles.

“Ilabas mo yung soul mo sa paggawa. Ilabas mo yung emotions mo and explore,” he says.