Hemley Gonzalez
Founder
Responsible Charity Corp.
Tattoos for me are a way of personally expressing emotions and events in my life that have signaled profound change and passage. They are the symbols that have become constant reminders, constant companions and markers of the burdens and joys that I bear. Trusting my skin, my sacred landscape to just anyone is not an easy thing to do. So when I discovered Anirban and his brilliance I knew that my next tattoo would be crafted from his capable hands. Superb technical skills aside, Anirban channels a fluidity in art and a vision that is unique and above else anything else I’ve seen in the world through the years and throughout my travels.
Partho Das
Doctor
Hello there folks! I’m a doctor by profession and I deal with emergency & critical care in my day to day work and had this insatiable desire to be inked where I can portray my profession along with my zodiac sign. Rightly recommended by my friend, I came in touch with Anirban who is exceptional not only with his tattooing skill but he has also brought my ideas into art exactly the way I wanted. My connection with Anirban and his studio Forever Poetry has been sublime ever since. Keep up the good job brother and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Dipayan Bose
Senior Research Fellow at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
I am a garden variety geek, amateur biologist, sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast and I think that tattoos are pretty cool. If you didn’t think that, you wouldn’t be reading this. That said, my story is probably pretty much like yours. It started with an idea, moved on to soul searching whether it meant enough for me to have it on my skin forever, and then bam! Awesome birthday gift to myself.
Gotta say Anirban was wonderful with the whole thing; the guy is intuitive, detailed, great at planning and will work with you to get you the design you want; and as for the finished tattoo – what you see is what you get . In short if you want something highly customized, meaningful, obviously beautiful and superbly executed, he’s your guy.
Experience: Chill place, chill-er people. Don’t take my word for it. Visit yourself. Especially during their monthly poetry meetings if you can. You’re welcome.
Arnesh Ghose
Journalist, Theatre maker, Associate and Digital Editor – Man’s World and Rolling Stone India Magazines, Founder and Creative Director – The Mirror Merchants Theatre Company
We started off with a simple dialogue – All the world’s a stage – in a typewriter font. The line has always resonated with me because, well, theatre and Shakey. Anirban added a few ink blobs here and there – an interesting addition to add more character to the tattoo. The second one was a customised design based on Avada Kedavra, beautifully entwined within a snake motif. Deliciously wicked. We are working on a sleeve for my left arm now. It marries my love for Buddhist and Islamic iconography and aesthetics.
I think even more than the tattoo itself, it is the relationship that a person forms with her/his tattoo artist which is special. You allow another person to have complete, permanent and indelible power over your body – that comes only from a deep sense of trust, and faith in their ability and technique and most importantly, faith in the fact that they will not harm you or destroy the sanctity of your skin. I share that relationship with Anirban, where I allow him, as an artist, to create something wonderful on my body – and quite literally – leave a mark. He is steady, focused and a thorough professional. He’s my guy. He should be yours too.
Antara Chakraborty
Pursuing Masters in Film Studies, Writer and Performance Poetry
I got selected in Slam India Retreat 2016 around October. It meant a great deal to me and I decided to get inked something of significance . It’s behind my ear and it means “the universe speaks to me “ . I spoke about this idea to Anirban da and he chalked out a couple of designs . My tattoo elements are stars and a planet resembling a constellation. Since my first tattoo was quite painful , I was surprised that given the sensitive area, it was a painless procedure. Anirban Da is great at what he does and I loved the final outcome. I would recommend Forever Poetry to all those hoping to get a piece of art inked.
Roy
Artist, Musician and Scholar
I play bass guitar for a blues band called The High Crook and like to play video games when I’m idle. With a keen interest towards colours and brushes from childhood, I always aspired to get inked. According to me tattoos are an expression of emotions and should always be treated as an intimate insignia of one’s thoughts. I became familiar with Anirban’s work and his understanding of geometric visuals during the time of my graduation, as many of my friends boasted about getting inked by the next big thing in the tattoo business. With a flawless setting for tattoos, with extra detail to hygiene, an euphonious playlist for the clients and an offbeat aesthetic, Forever Poetry does not disappoint. I am elated to be a part of the ever expanding fan base of this studio, located in one of the most accessible parts of town and have immense respect for the artist’s vision and his work ethic.
Debarati Das
Musician, Law student
I live in Pune. I play drums in two metal bands here and study Law. I am passionate about body art and modifications like tattoos and piercings and have been getting tattoos since I was sixteen. My tattoos signify various things- ranging from lived experiences to decorative pieces. My tattoos are integral to who I am and not merely something that I felt at a point of time. If there’s one thing that I am sure about, it is that I will never stop getting tattoos. So far, I have got three tattoos done at Forever Poetry and look forward to many more. Experience with the artist has been an enriching one, and I love the way he builds up on a desired concept.
Mehk Chakraborty
Journalist, Traveler and Writer
Tattoos are far from ornamental for me and each one of them has marked a phase or important shift in my understanding of the world. The two tattoos that Anirban entirely etched out on my back have marked such a new point in life. The first, a coming together of the ajna and sahasrara chakra or third eye and crown chakra, signified the merging of higher wisdom and cosmic energy- something which was eventually very intricately captured in my tattoo. The second tattoo which I got done was meant to be a tiny four pointed star, to symbolise the four basic elements of the universe, with an emerging flower of life from within. The flower of life, something that is a specialty of sorts of Anirban’s as can be concluded in interactions with him and upon a visit to Forever Poetry, ultimately led my tattoo to grow in size yet I am quite content with it.
Neline Mondal
Social Worker
Though born in Belgium, I came ‘back to India‘ , on a deep NGO impulse , initially through AIDS awareness , being of Science background. I am a Cultural Ambassador with some European Countries, as well as centrally active member with various field NGOs from small to big, and youth guider (so help them God). Coming to Chandannagar on a work related appointment, it turned out to be a life sharing appointment! Both my husband and I have given our lives to social work.
I am incidentally the mother of Anirban’s bosom friend, Nildeep, and have seen Anirban grow as per his own genius, undisturbed by parental shackles of “doctor , engineer = read big bucks“ . My hobbies being in the art, I sculpt, batik, photograph, so my even embryotic sense of art is able to discern the genius in Anirban’s art.
Whatever better symbol of our bond through Nildeep could have been than his tattoo testifying my holding creative patent on my son! I share the number one ‘studio client‘ tag with Hemley Gonzales, it was an in – family day ! Done smoothly, great environment and no, it did not ‘hurt‘. I had a relaxing chatting time having the tattoo. You all can have the same.
Srijon Mukherjee
Undergraduate in engineering with an obsession for all things art
My tattoo was based on the cover of Neil Gaiman’s ‘Ocean At The End Of The Lane.’ Our childhood and past may not matter after a while, but that doesn’t stop them from following us at a distance – whether approvingly or disapprovingly is for us to decide. The book makes it clear that our past grows with us too, hand in hand with our perceptions, and maybe this is why childhood is always sweet when lived through and bittersweet, when re-lived. It’s a realization that I wanted to carry with me, in the mind and on the body. No matter how used to getting inked you might be, the process of getting a tattoo will always involve a lot of thought and care (and additional anxiety if you’re like me).This makes the parlor itself as important as the artist and the design, as a comfortable environment can go a long way and Forever Poetry is just that. The place is very thoughtfully decorated, with soothing music playing 24/7. The artist’s touch isn’t just limited to the body, and it shows. I had a fantastic experience getting inked here and will not hesitate to come again for my next tattoo.
Sampad Roy
Analytics professional and an Abstract doodler
I have always found tattoos to be a fascinating and highly expressive portal for art. The tattoo that I have is a Celtic mandala that represents infinity or ‘infinite possibility’. It’s the first piece of a full sleeve that I plan to do. My experience at Forever Poetry was very satisfying. The studio is very hygienic and Anirban is a brilliant artist who pays attention to minute details. The level of artistry is absolutely top notch.
Ushmayo Dutta
Graphic Designer / Traveler / University Dropout
My relationship with Anirban goes way back to school. The day I gathered he was pursuing to be a tattoo artist I was hell bent on getting a full arm sleeve inked by him, that is the level of trust and confidence I had in him as an artist. It was back in 2015, when we decided to work on my first tattoo. It reads Wondering and Wandering, concocted with customised paper planes which resonates my dream of traveling in unison with nostalgia. His ideology of building an alternative vision in every art form and visualising eccentric ideas in design is something which I always admire. I was present when the primary brainstorming for Forever Poetry was happening, and since the studio opened I saw it grow into a constructive space where every artist’s creativity can bloom in its full potential. So if you are looking for a space to get inked or discuss music, films, design, theatre or just want to casually converse and chill, drop by anytime.
Archisman Mukherjee
Freelance sound recordist and video editor
Anirban Roy Choudhury of Forever Poetry Tattoo Studio is, apart from being one of the best tattoo artists in the city, one of the most interesting people I know. This shows in the unique ambience he creates for the studio and the amount of thought and effort he puts behind every design. It never is just about the money, and you can sense that. I had the best possible experience getting a tattoo done here. Paper cranes, poetry, artwork, an old typewriter, painted walls, and the music — they all immediately put me at ease. After a busy week, I often just visit the space to sit and read or talk.
Soumi Dutta
Student. Vagabond. Hedonist. Gourmand.
My body is a canvas, not only does it bear the marks of my growth from childhood into adulthood by way of scars, moles, and other natural born marks that begin littering my body, I chose to express my story through the intricate art of tattoo. Almost everyone who has experience under the tattoo machine knows just how much thought goes into each design that is laid out on the body. Tattoos, to me, are really creative way to make myself unique and let others know what I’m about. I was setting myself apart and grabbing onto the right to be whatever I wanted. I wanted to challenge myself against the needle and survive, to play rebel for a bit. It became important to commemorate the brave self I’ve been championing as long as I’ve been able. I personally got mine as a celebration of my passions and interest in different cultures. In fact, I feel tattoos are a personal thing and a great way to celebrate my individuality. My body is a temple, and I can decorate it however I like. They are an expression of who I am on the inside…on the outside, It is an art. Getting a tattoo by an artist of the caliber of Anirban da means that I get to keep this unique piece of work created, just for me, all to myself, forever. Moreover, it doesn’t change me who I am as a person. Being tattooed doesn’t make me less intelligent, less compassionate, less friendly or more slutty.
Sanghamitra Deb
Freelance actor and performer, and nude self-photographer
Interested in anything that makes me wonder. Back when I was in college, tattoos were a fad. Everyone was getting one, and they all looked more or less the same to me. So I developed an aversion for it. It never struck me that they can be considered an art form. That was until I met Anirban and saw the tattoos he made. I went through the designs and knew I just had to get one. Since my work has very much to do with creating art with my body, I could relate to the passion that Anirban has for creating art on someone’s skin. He respects the person’s idea and their skin, like a painter would a canvas. Each design feels personal and unique to the person getting the tattoo. My tattoos eventually ended up feeling like a artistic collaboration. I have two tattoos from here, and there will surely be more. Also, the studio holds poetry reading sessions, has bean bags, and has resident CATS- Amaya and Reiki. Hard to keep yourself away from so perfect a place.
Shreyan Ghosh
Student- Film Studies, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
I have been living in Pune since 2012, currently pursuing my Masters in Film Studies. I have been closely following Anirban Da’s work for a long time and his Instagram posts made me fall in love with his art.
We have been discussing the idea over a month and he always had his personal touch and opinion parallel with mine.
Loved the ambience and the way he completed my 10 hour session.
And that’s how my 2nd tattoo and Forever Poetry happened.
Worth an experience
MyCaptain !
Malini Chakrabarty
Student: Media science, Para-veterinary.
Hey, I’m a 19 year old dreamchaser, photography is my passion which is rooted in painting, for I have always been obsessed with colouring outside the lines, on walls, clothes, anything actually. I feel painting is poetry through colours, so when my words fail, I paint or click stories. I love animals more than humans and want to make their lives better; I feel this is my purpose. I’m double majoring, enrolled myself into a course online on basic animal first aid, animal behaviour and welfare. I work with 2 NGOs in Kolkata, It’s A Dog’s Life and Like A Dog, to eradicate rabies and provide medical help to the injured four-legged pals. I can’t go on a day without listening to music and playing my guitar, it’s my therapy, helps me through the good and the bad.
I have a paw on my ring finger( to remind me of my purpose and also because I grew up with my best friend, Snowy, who’s from a different species); a Swedish sign ‘Malin’ which means you need setbacks in life to keep moving forward, it helps me through my tough times; a series of musical notes from my favourite Porcupine Tree song behind my right ear; and the mantra I live by, the Greek word ‘Meraki’ on my right collarbone, right above my heart. Meraki means giving your heart and soul into your work, doing something with soul creativity. Anirban da is brilliant at what he does and Forever Poetry is the best tattoo studio in the city. Whenever I enter the Forever Poetry studio, I genuinely feel at peace, for it’s beautiful and has quite a lot of quirky elements, like a branch with a real nest decorated with lights, a wall full of pages of poetry and origami-ed paper birds splattered with colours, a guitar, a dreamcatcher, beautiful framed photographs, a great book collection, good music playing, and even two cats. I can spend hours over here and not get bored for it’s got really good vibes and it’s a visual and spiritual treat!