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The huge tattoo studio occupies the first floor of a building in Villa Lugano, a working-class neighborhood south of the city of Buenos Aires. After climbing a steep staircase, the world of Mandinga Tattoo reveals itself as a constellation of rock and roll images, street aesthetics including motorcycles, football and photos of celebrities getting tattoos. It is a salon of over 700 m2 with tattoo booths, piercingsa barber shop, a coffee shop and – perhaps this is the most curious fact – a doctor’s office.
Mandinga is one of the references to tattooing in Argentina. But not only for the quality of his projects, nor for having been one of the pioneers in the 90s. He is also known for his quieter work, far from the screeching of rock and roll and the pride of wearing his skin like a beautiful canvas.
Tattoo artist and shop owner Diego Staropoli has a personal history marked by close family members who have suffered from breast cancer. “My mother and grandmother had breast cancer. My brother suffered from lymphoma. And my aunt died from the same disease. So I found out that women have their breasts removed and implants placed after recovery. But they never get the breast areola (part of the dark-colored skin surrounding the nipple of the breast) back. So I thought: why not do it with a tattoo?” says Staropoli, who made the first of its kind just over 15 years ago.
Up until that point, in Buenos Aires, the most widespread technique was micropigmentation, which has a useful life of six months. “Over time it starts to fade. It was a job for cosmetologists and beauticians, which was unrealistic, as well as being expensive. I started doing it for free.”
When Staropoli began reconstructing her breast areolas, she thought she would get a few isolated consultations. He was wrong. “Today we have registered 4,160 tattooed women over the age of 15. Here there is also an office with a volunteer doctor, who treats potentially at-risk women free of charge. With local funds we buy the necessary equipment,” he says.
Diego and his brother take care of tattoo reconstruction. When a woman comes to their place, they are tasked with dismantling some fears and prejudices. Many tell their personal and clinical story, as if they were healthcare professionals.
Some also bring their medical studies. Even though the place is nice, it’s still a tattoo studio. They have to stand half naked in front of a fat man full of tattoos (laughs). I make them laugh and add some humor to the situation. They are ashamed and afraid of the pain, but when the tattoo is finished and they look in the mirror, most of them start crying and hugging you. Tattooing does not restore texture or sensitivity, but great emotional repair occurs. They forget everything and at that moment you feel that it can’t be something temporary.
Over time, the work of Diego and the Mandinga Tattoo team has gone further. They created a foundation, incorporated medical advice and expanded the work by tattooing people with burns who have experienced accidents or gender-based violence for free. Each year, the tattoo studio hosts the Pink Walk, a day of exercise and live music that seeks to raise awareness of breast cancer prevention and celebrate life.
Gladys Novello is 65 years old, retired and has a business that sells products that come from the country’s regional economies. When she was in her early 40s, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to an early diagnosis they did not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but the doctors decided that a mastectomy was the best solution. “Everything that happened to me was a volcano. Breast reconstruction takes a long time because they put an expander and then the prosthesis. They removed the areola of my breast and the nipple. The breast was completely white. Afterwards the surgeon reconstructed my nipple and I felt like a woman again. The cancer was gone and I wanted to continue living,” she says.
Novello knew Diego Staropoli’s work, but didn’t dare get a tattoo. He took the step after seeing it on a TV show. “The tattoo helped me feel whole again. In addition to dealing with health problems and battles, you want to feel like a woman. You feel like you are in the hands of professionals who help you feel and look better. I don’t have any tattoos on my body except the one Diego got on me two years ago,” says Novello.
It highlights the importance of support during the illness and in the years that follow. And she believes the tattoo helped her in this process. “It was important to feel full, worthy and look good. The operation is only part of the treatment; the rest is important too.”
The story of Diana Miriam Cuccarese also has tattoos and resilience, but for other reasons. Due to a domestic accident with a stove in 2012, 36% of his body was burned. As the fire spread, it reached a mattress and the apartment’s laminate flooring began to burn. She managed to save her children, but remained unconscious on the ground, engulfed in flames. The family dog dragged her into the corridor of the building and the firefighters managed to rescue her.
Years later, she met Diego who was working as a waitress in a restaurant. His arms and back were covered; He wore gloves and a turtleneck despite the heat. “I was ashamed of my scars. He asked me if I had thought about trying to get a tattoo. I hadn’t thought about it and I couldn’t even afford it because I hadn’t worked for two years. He gave me his phone number. At first I didn’t think it was free. My children encouraged me and I called two months later,” she says.
Tattooing of burn victims began in the pandemic years. «They are not simple tattoos because when the skin burns it is like lava that melts», explains Diego. Eventually Diana revives. A world of butterflies, flowers and dragonflies has been tattooed on his arms and back. “We chose the design between me and the tattoo artist. The guys welcomed me lovingly and didn’t charge me a cent. When I looked in the mirror I couldn’t believe it. The feeling of falling asleep at home and seeing yourself ruined the next day is horrible. It makes you extremely angry and sad. I have regained my self-esteem. They are very supportive and empathetic people, who help others in a wonderful way. I will get my legs tattooed soon. I like it and it makes me happy to show off mine. arms or a cleavage,” he says.
At Villa Lugano it is already dusk. Diego Staropoli says he’s been traveling to Alaska by van, tattooing and teaching along the way, and that they’re about to launch a series called Family tattoosince his brothers and son tattoo in the shop, and other family members work on different tasks.
In a few days another woman will arrive to get her breast areola tattooed. Diego will take her hand, tell her a few jokes to make her relax and say: “I’m a tattoo artist. The only thing I’ll do is make you a little prettier. Relax and enjoy yourself because in a few minutes you’ll see yourself better in front of the mirror. This way you’ll feel healed and this process will be over.”
