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Yes I almost had to wait a year but now I have my tattoo. A year ago was working on the Armed Man with the Osse Opera and as a daughter of a veteran it was a piece that really touches my heart. But It was also a period where I thought a lot about the Balkans. As we can always do something with our hair I decided to make a custom hairpin of the Vergina Sun. I talked about it with a friend and thought why not as a tattoo because it had a double meaning for me but not on the way it mostly used.
The Vergina sun
Why the Vergina sun, it’s mostly known as a symbol of Macedonia and dates back to Alexander the Great. No I’m not Macedonian but I fell in love of the symbolism behind it. But also It’s for me also a refence to the album Porta Macedonia of Veljanov which become my personal favourite album. It was realised in a time where I worked as a photographer and remember that we were invited to the album release. That was a few days after my bone transplantation surgery in my jaw. My dad drove me to the cd presentation in Berlin and the next day he had to go the Airport to welcome some colleagues that just came home from the Afghanistan war. A year later my dad had to go to Afghanistan for six months. So that album became a really personal album that helped me in that period.
But the Vergina sun came back on my path while I was working on The armed Man. But the referees to the symbolism behind the sun the 16 ray’s that references wholeness and the centre the rose of love and strength. The sun of the Helios and even my names is French is original is Greek, Hélène (Helena) which means torch or light that goes back to his origin to the Helios the sun.
Bianca Stücker
So yes if I go for a tattoo that I was overthinking to oblivion than also overthink the artist. Well I did not had to think long on this. But even I had to wait for almost a year for my turn it was worth the wait and more room to overthink the tattoo itself.
Bianca has a special place in my heart. She is such a great an creative person. I knew her from The Violet Tribe and even had the honour to dance with them a few times as a guest. She has also been one of my dance teachers and I admire her support for woman in all kind of shapes and styles. She showed me that I can shine on stage and to not be afraid of it. So my choice was easily made to ask her to help me with my personal reminder of dreams.
Tattoo
So the centre of my tattoo is the sun accomplished with a small moon. The moon which stands for my feminine side and three dots that make it whole are for my tree children. On the other side a star of good luck, or is it a second sun. Because we can argue about the sun and the stars but overlook that the sun is a star.
So this is my personal life in a tattoo on my right arm an everlasting personal reminder: to never give up on dreams again. Yes I once gave them all up. But in my darkest hour someone shows me that the sun would rise again.
What is your reminder not to give up on your dreams?
With love,
Helene
More infomation about Bianca Stücker
https://www.bianca-stuecker.com
From the archive me with The Voilet Tribe. Lats two of ap perfomance I did on Oriental Tea Time.
So last winter I wrote little song text just a small one. But me wouldn’t be me if I would toss and turn about it. So first place I had an idea how to sing it but can I do it? I came at a point where I decided not to fool myself with my own boundaries. I always tell people to express themselves and me I always block myself. But there is no failure because there is nothing to lose. If you don’t start you will never know what you could have done. So I stop running and start to listen to myself and create. You can only find your own style by experimenting even you have a few materials if you are creative you can make something out of it that shows your vision. So that’s what I did just start to create I knew what I want and went for it.
I can write a thousand words why I wrote it and analyse the words I have written. But I wrote it just because it felt write just to share a small insight in my head.
Video
To finish it of I made a conceptual videoclip to add with it. For me the process felt nostalgic and brought me back to my studies audio visual and art. The big different between now and then, now I allow to work raw and expressive. And while I’m writing my blog I have a nostalgic 80-90’s playlist on my tv where now and then a video pops up. The best times for videoclips when it was an art on it’s own. Raw sometimes strange but all to express the story behind the music or to capture the vibe. Now days it’s over commercialize and perfected to nothing but a nice slick promotional.
If you would ask me ten years ago to make a video with the same song it would be completely different. Probably a picture perfect video with fairytale like locations. But now I chose to make it raw a thing teachers during my art studies almost begged me to do. So now I just let me self-go and did it.
So here it is my experimental song with my experimental video. I hope you like it or it might inspire you.
Just be yourself
with love
Helene
Secret of the sun written by Helene Smits
Produced by Bjorn Grunveld
Vocals & Theremin: Helene Smits
Keyboad: Bjorn Grunveld
Piano: Oliver Grunveld
Video by Helene Smits