Vogue Philippines recently announced that Apo Whang-Od, a 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Philippines, will be the cover star of its April issue. This groundbreaking move makes Whang-Od the oldest person to ever grace the front of a Vogue magazine.
Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay, has been practicing the art of hand-tapping tattoos since she was a teenager, learning under her father’s guidance. She resides in the mountain village of Buscalan in the Kalinga province, about 15 hours north of Manila. She is considered the country’s oldest mambabatok, or traditional Kalinga tattooist.
In the past, the hand-tapped tattoos that Whang-Od creates using just a bamboo stick, a thorn from a pomelo tree, water, and coal, were earned by indigenous Butbut warriors. Now, international visitors seeking her signature geometric designs make up much of her clientele.
“Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe—signifying strength, bravery, and beauty—on the skin of thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage to Buscalan,” Vogue Philippines said in a post on social media.
The art of hand-tapping tattoos can only be passed down to blood relatives, and Whang-Od has been training her grandnieces Elyang Wigan and Grace Palicas for several years. Despite being the last of her generation, Whang-Od is not afraid that the tradition will end as long as there are people who come to get tattoos. She is determined to continue the tradition as long as her vision remains clear.
Whang-Od’s appearance on the cover of Vogue Philippines highlights the importance of preserving indigenous art forms and recognizing the beauty in diversity. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Bea Valdes, said that the staff unanimously decided that Whang-Od should grace the cover. “We felt she represented our ideals of what is beautiful about our Filipino culture. We believe that the concept of beauty needs to evolve and include diverse and inclusive faces and forms. What we hope to speak about is the beauty of humanity,” Valdes added.
Before Whang-Od’s appearance on the cover of Vogue Philippines, the record for the oldest Vogue cover model was held by actress Judi Dench, who appeared on the front of British Vogue in 2020 at the age of 85.
Whang-Od’s recognition by Vogue Philippines serves as a reminder that age is just a number, and that the beauty of diversity and tradition should be celebrated and preserved for generations to come.
