Style Quickie - Olly Alva

Al's Tattoo Parlour at Hill Road, Bandra

This is the second post on my long introduced segment : Style Quickie

The first post was about the incredibly spunky Sapna Bhavnani,

I'm so glad next person be featured here is Olly Alva, a tattoo artist based out of mumbai. He's part owner of the revolutionary Tattoo Parlour run by him and his brother on the Hill Road, Mumbai. Besides the unending list of celebrities who got inked here, most of Bandra's hipster crowd can be seen hanging out here catching up on coffee and contributing to creative thinking.

The tiny place that they run this parlour from is so psychedelic with hand-drawn graffiti and alien posters. 

Here's a nugget of our 2 hour long conversation about random things that inspire us.

One of Tattoo Artists in action

What is the most popular tattoo at your parlour?

Its the butterfly! Even though I'm bored-to-death making this one, I wouldn't stop... its big business!

Olly's favourite tattoo

Which one of your many tattoos do you like the most?

Its the one on my calf. Still Work in progress. Its inspired by William Blake's End of Days picture. I find this painting very interesting. I don't read too much into it. Tattoos represent a person's state of mind at that particular time only.

Do you help a person in deciding on a tattoo design?

Well if they seek my help, I do but I think its a very personal decision and I prefer if people draw their own tattoo. Nothing is more exciting than originality. Everybody is an artist. That's why I promote the Dada-ism movement. We need to stop treating art like some snob's private posession. Everybody has a right to creative expression and all of it is art.

Tattoo inks

Whats your favorite book?

I don't like reading too much. Though I do enjoy my friend Himanshu Shady's writings. Its a Dada form of written expression.

Pokhara Valley in Nepal

 

Your favourite travel destination?

Pokhra in Nepal is the most beautiful place I've visited. Its only in the mountains, away from the screechy city sounds and in the dark deep woods that I feel like I know myself. I've visited Pokhra plenty of times and don't think I'll ever get bored of this place. I think Alapuso in Kerela is also very captivating.

Olly, blinded by sun!

Your choice of Music?

You'll laugh when I tell you this. I hate meaningful music. I like my music to mean nothing. My favourite sound track is from Ice Age2.  I'm a nut is the best track ever! I enjoy meaningless, shitty music.

You mean, like britney spears?

Haha, No! That is deep stuff.

What is Fashion?

Good enough to cover yourself against the changing weather.

So if you're ever short of inspiration or in need of a random chit chat, do stop by Al's Tattoo Parlour. If you're lucky you might also bump into Olly's 1year old nephew who refuses to eat food without Sheela ki Jawani playing in the background!

Creativity is the key to change and cannot be restricted to a narrow group of specialists called artists.
A DADA inpired graffiti by Olly's German friend

Much Love,