Banana Tattooing, an Increasingly Popular Art Form

Hi ya! How's it going, eh? Great to see you and I hope you're having a 'caffo' day. Coffee's perky and the VTs are in their usual state of tasty magnificence. Try a banana muffin why don't you but wait...don't throw out the peel, eh! It could be turned into a masterpiece! (Have you been drying and smoking those banana peels again, Bob?) No but...well read on...

Up until a few years ago, people rarely looked at bananas as anything more than delicious fruit, let alone as an art medium. But that was before artists started taking advantage of the banana peel’s oxidation process to create amazing artworks. Today, more and more artists are becoming specialized in banana oxidation art, also known as banana tattooing.

Banana peel may seem like a strange canvas to some, but it’s also one that can yield some pretty impressive results. Case in point, the amazing artworks of End Cape, a young Japanese artist who specializes in bruising bananas. 

Using a sharp tool like a simple needle or a thumbtack, he spends up to five hours puncturing the peel of the tropical fruit and creating breathtaking masterpieces inspired by popular anime, traditional Japanese art and famous landmarks. 

The process is very similar to that used by regular tattoo artists, only without the paint. In contact with air, the bruised sections of the banana turn brown, revealing artist’s designs. Apparently, the colder the fruit is, the faster it oxidizes. By controlling the density of needle holes, End Cape is able to create different textures and shades of brown.

Interesting, eh! You know I'm always looking out for your health - both mental and physical. It seems to me that as a hobby, banana tattooing would offer a splendid balance of peacefulness and meditation...and a good way to pass the winter months. Let me know if you create and stunning works of banana art.

See ya, eh!

Bob