The April issue of Vogue is now available, featuring 106-year-old Filipino tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od on the cover. This makes her the oldest person ever to grace the front page of the magazine. Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay, is the Philippines' oldest mambabatok, specializing in traditional Kalinga tattoos.
She began her tattooing career at the age of 16, learning from her father, and is recognized for her efforts in preserving batok, the ancient art of hand-tapping tattoos using a bamboo stick with a thorn dipped in coal and natural dye.
The tattoos of the Kalinga tribe carry deep significance: for men, they represent bravery, and for women, beauty. Beyond being markers of identity and kinship, these designs have spiritual meaning, as they provide protection from malevolent spirits and serve as a means of accessing the afterlife.
Unfortunately, the tradition of tattooing has been lost to much of the Filipino population, which converted to Christianity during the period of Spanish colonial rule. Though it managed to persist in some more remote areas of the Philippines, modernization and Western influences have contributed to its decline. As a result, this ancient art form is now considered endangered.
Vogue Philippines paid tribute to Apo Whang-Od, hailed as the last surviving mambabatok of her generation, who has inked the symbols of the Kalinga tribe - symbols of strength, bravery, and beauty - on the skin of thousands who have traveled to Buscalan for the privilege.
Apo Maria “Whang-Od” Oggay symbolizes the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit.
— Vogue Philippines (@vogueph) March 30, 2023
Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe signifying strength, bravery & beauty on the skin.
Read more on https://t.co/2F1mJ5iQWG. pic.twitter.com/urVcA3g2Ek
Whang-Od's fame has drawn in thousands of visitors from all corners of the world to Buscalan, a remote mountain village located in Kalinga province, north of Manila. These travelers are in search of her distinct geometric tattoo designs, which she has been perfecting for over 90 years. According to Vogue, her work has also inspired a new generation of batok artists in both the Philippines and the United States.
Traditionally, the art of batok is passed down exclusively to blood relatives. In order to keep the practice alive, Whang-Od has been training her grand-nieces, Elyang Wigan and Grace Palicas, for several years. However, despite this, she plans to continue tattooing for as long as her vision permits her to.
In her own words, spoken in the Butbut language, Whang-Od expressed her commitment to her craft: “When visitors come from far away, I'll only stop when I can no longer see, so I can continue to give people the mark of Buscalan, the mark of Kalinga.”
Bea Valdes, editor-in-chief of Vogue Philippines, stated that the decision to feature Whang-Od on the magazine's cover was unanimous among the staff. Valdes said that Whang-Od represents the publication's ideals of the beauty of Filipino culture and emphasized the importance of promoting a more inclusive and diverse concept of beauty. "What we hope to speak about is the beauty of humanity," Valdes said.
Before Whang-Od graced the cover of Vogue Philippines, the title of the oldest Vogue cover model belonged to British actress Judi Dench. Dench appeared on the front of British Vogue in 2020 at the age of 85, setting the record that Whang-Od has now broken.