When you love something, it’s easy to get lost in that activity for so long, a whole lifetime could go by. That’s what it was like for Apo Whang-od, the 106-year-old Filipino tattoo artist who dedicated her entire existence to the art of tattooing. 

Beginning her tattoo journey as a teen, Whang-od learned the art of hand-tapping as a teenager. Under her father’s instruction, she soaked up a wealth of information. Hand-tapping  is the art of tattooing skin without the use of a tattoo machine, with the use of needles or other materials to tap ink into the skin manually. This skill requires a significant amount of time and effort, and Whang-od tattooed thousands of people, making her tattoo skills strengthen over time.