Portrait of an Artist

Whang-Od Oggay is a mambabatok—a traditional Kalinga tattooist—who lives and inks in the Philippines. At 106, she was also the oldest model ever to have graced the cover of Vogue.

This photo is not that cover shot (I’m cautious about permissions), but I highly recommend googling if you haven’t seen it yet.

Time has adorned this artist’s face with crinkles and color variations; her hair with streaks of silver and white. This is clearly not the traditional fashion-magazine representation of attractiveness.

But what a magnificent and dignified way to show that beauty doesn’t require the erasure of years.

Photo by Rondell Chaz Mabunga on Unsplash