I was very happy to get a letter from Lucky Diamond Rich today telling me the story of his chance encounter with brilliant cutter and body modification artist Lukas Zpira at the Berlin Tattoo Convention. For those of you who don’t know who Lucky Diamond Rich is, he’s a performance artist and the world’s most tattooed person (yes, even inside his mouth, his ears, everywhere). Read on to hear his story, click the pictures to see them full size, and of course be sure to visit his web page for more when you’re done.

- Shannon

Dear BME,

After having a fantastic time in Berlin for the 15th International Tattoo Convention, on Saturday, the second day of the convention, a great person and a very funny man called “Chandler” from Provocative Piercings in Berlin came to the tattoo stand of the Black Rat Society. He mentioned a whole heap of funny shit, and also that Lukas Zpira was coming to the convention the next day! This for me was a moment that had not happened for quite some time, as I had always just missed Lukas, or he would always just miss me traveling around the world! But, as the years have gone by we were getting closer and closer to meeting and it sounded like this was it.

For me, Lukas Zpira is one of the best, if not the best cut man in the business. His new book, the work I have seen him do, and the stories I have heard about him — a True Pro Artist!

On Sunday, as if Xed LeHead and Loretta Leu tattooing each other was not enough excitement, at the Black Rat Society booth stands Lukas Zpira saying hello to Xed — instantly in my mind I thought I had to ask him if he would like to work on me — and I’d not even met him yet!

After the instant that we both met, I knew this man was a good person and a consummate professional — and it was the only time we were going to do something together! After tattooing loads of diamonds, and Xed doing heaps of dot work, myself, Lukas, and Xed went out for dinner in Berlin where Lukas and I talked about what we could do!

The first idea was to cut out the Om Mani Padme Hum out of my face, which is done in red ink on top of two layers of white ink, which is on top of four layers of black ink — that’s a lot of ink and skin to take out, and if any one was going to do it, Lukas was the man! But the next morning we all went for breakfast together, where I was having second thoughts about what I wanted — I’ve always wanted to have a huge scar across my face, like some sort of Russian Mafia wound where you look like you’ve been bottled or attacked with a machete!

This idea was thrown around, and later that day after doing more diamond tattoos (which have become a bit of a Lucky Diamond Rich trademark), it was time for Lukas and I to get down to business at Hennis, Yvonne and Mario’s Studio Blut und Eisen. Lukas pulls out a pen and blade and handle, starts folding the paper towels — quite a a lot of paper towels — and suddenly I realize that I am about to experience something I have never experienced before in my life! All this time I have been going on about cutting, branding, and implants, saying, “that’s not for me, it’s another league — a bit too full on!”

But all of a sudden it hits home to me that I am in the hands of a true master of his game. I have to let go of my judgments and my thoughts of what it will be like feeling it for the first time! Lukas picks up the pen and I say to him, “You know what, Lukas, you do what you want — I do not want to have anymore say on this. You just do what you do best!”

In my head I’ve let go completely, and I tell Lukas, “let’s just do it,” and without even looking at what Lukas has drawn on me, I lie down and it’s happening — I’m having my face cut open. It was a weird sensation, and definitely not as bad as being tattooed... Kind of a dull, warm feeling, and very manageable.

Everyone in the room is dealing with what they just witnessed, and Lukas is still wiping my head, taking good care of me, and doing what is needed to finish the work of art — as an artist would! I get up and look in the mirror and oh my god, from a visual perspective it looks like a grizzly bear has swiped me! Or Freddy Kruger just gave me a left jab — but wow, it is a piece of body art from the man himself, Lukas Zpira. It’s been a huge honor to have crossed paths with this man, and if you ever get the privilege of doing so yourself, your life will not be the same! This has been a meeting and experience to go in the top ten of my lifetime!

My new website — www.luckyrich.com is still getting finished, but let me know what you think if you have a chance to look it. Thanks Shannon and BMEZINE,

      Lucky Diamond Rich
      International Performance Artist
      www.luckyrich.com

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