Vogue Philippines released its April issue and its newest cover model is an 106-year-old indigenous Kalinga woman, Apo Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay. The 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Philippines is the oldest person ever to appear on the of Vogue.
She has been perfecting the art of hand-tapping tattoos since she was a teen, learning under her father's instruction.
Residing in the mountain village of Buscalan, about 15 hours north of Manila, in Kalinga province, she is considered the country's oldest 'mambabatok' or traditional Kalinga tattooist.
Once, 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.
Vogue Philippines shared the cover of the Vogue's April issue on their Instagram account and wrote, "Apo Maria 'Whang-Od' Oggay symbolizes the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit. Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe signifying strength, bravery & beauty on the skin."
Check their post below:
The art can only be passed down to blood relatives, and Whang Od has been training her grandnieces Elyang Wigan and Grace Palicas for several years.
"I am the only one left alive that's still creating these tattoos. But I am not afraid that the tradition will end because I'm training, the next tattoo masters. The tradition will continue as long as people keep coming to get tattoos," Apo Whang-Od said.
"As long as I can see well, I will continue with my tattoo art. I will stop once my vision gets blurry," she added.
Vogue Philippines editor-in-chief Bea Valdes said staff at the publication decided unanimously that Whang-Od should go on 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.
Prior to Whang-Od's appearance in Vogue Philippines, the record for 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.
