I spent 2 days in Cali, Colombia…Originally, I had only planned on visiting Medellin and then spending a few days in Panama…however, I seized an opportunity to get some ink done by @adrada_artista. I came across his work a couple years prior when researching the best tattoo artists in Colombia. Unfortunately, I was in Cartagena which is several hours from his studio which is closer to Cali…in addition, Covid was in full effect on my first visit to Cartagena which complicated travel…I decided to reach out to him since I was going to Medellin and long story short we made arrangements…those arrangements for to have my sleeve completed turned into getting my sleeve completed and getting one of his exclusive portraits done on my leg…so a 2 day visit…both sessions lasting between 8-9 hours…well worth it…however I didn’t get to explore Cali at all…a city known for the world’s best also most difficult to learn version of salsa dancing…it is also home to the largest population of people of African descent in Colombia…
Full name…Adrada Ordonez, lives and works in Santander de Quilichao about an hour ride from Cali…he arranged to meet me at his friend’s @camilo.urrea.pizano tattoo studio @santasangreartecorporal in Cali…Adrada doesn’t speak English…I speak maybe a little more than elementary Spanish…Camilo speaks some English and helped with some of the translation along with some of the clients that happened to be getting work done…the rest was Adrada and I either using google translate or improvising and creating our own language…we all brainstormed on the designs and settled on adding hieroglyphics to fill in the gaps on my sleeve (my entire left arm and left pectoral are Egyptian themed)…he also converted the face of Amenhotep III which I got in Cartagena on my tricep to the sphinx…I always leave room for my artist’s to improvise…they can see things that I can’t, which is why it’s so important to research and find an artist you can trust…Adrada told me he wanted to do a portrait on my leg…portraits are his trademark…he gets excited about doing them and his work is second to none…a few months prior I took a DNA test through @africanancestry…the results turned out that my maternal lineage was 99% Nigerian, specifically that of the Yoruba people…my paternal lineage was 98% Ateke/Tsogo/Kota tribes from northern Gabon…we researched Yoruba designs and faces and Adrada found a Yoruba elder and cowrie shell which are symbolic of wealth, blessings, and favor…you can refer to the gallery to see the outcome as well as follow his IG to see his other work…its surreal…even after it healed it looks like he painted it on my leg…I’ll say no more about the skill of his craftsmanship because I can’t do it justice…if you see me out and about just ask and I’ll show you my leg if it’s not too much of a hassle to roll my pant leg up…what I will say is Adrada and Camilo are great guys…over the course of those 2 days, I made 2 new friends…they shared lunch with me at a table in the back of the studio where Camilo has an outdoor garden area…we talked about each other’s lives, experiences, and families…it was organic, it was genuine…even the language barrier did not prevent full understanding…he told me about and I talked to his 4 year old son, Fredrick (English spelling)…I felt the love that he has for him as tears filled his eyes when he talked about their relationship…I had considered filming our lunches or taking a couple pictures while we ate because it felt like a moment that I wanted to capture…I decided against it because the moment was so intimate and real that I didn’t want to interrupt the energy that was present…not every can be for sale…I’ll be going back to Cali (not the one L.L. was referring to) soon to get more work done and see my friends and Frederick!…salsa too…so stay tuned to the blog and social media…
H704 in Cali, Colombia Hosted by EXSTR
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/731821117742173214?source_impression_id=p3_172253
7604_P3iXOHhBkivLQ1VB
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