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Don Calavera de Tribus Vivas DERMAFILIA | San Francisco CA
DON CALAVERA by SAL ROJAS PHOTOGRAPHY | MISSION DISTRICT SAN FRANCISCO
Mexican style tattoos have become very popular recently in many parts of the world, and just like any other type of art forms, tattooing has become a personal expression like painting and music. Almost everyone these days either has a tattoo or knows someone that does. The popularity of the tattooing culture has led to a new wave of artists creating a world-wide industry and building a strong presence in American popular culture and clothing.
In one of my trips to the San Francisco Bay Area with Mexican Emcee Sekreto we had the chance to meet Alberto “Betto” Salazar Hernandez better known to many as Don Calavera. In fact the photo of the tattoo that is displayed in the Sekreto’s “En Tu Area” album artwork was created by Don Calavera during this trip. Originally from Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico today Don Calavera now calls San Francisco's famed Mission District home and this is where his tattoo studio “Tribus Vivas DERMAFILIA” is based.
SEKRETO TATTOO by DON CALAVERA by SAL ROJAS PHOTOGRAPHY | LOS ANGELES
It was about 1994 when the art of tattooing started to pick up in Mexico, but still there were very few tattoo studios and the ones that did exist were in Mexico City or Guadalajara, Mexico. Don Calavera got started tattooing his friends using a home-made tattoo gun at the age of 18, before long word started spreading around about Beto’s tattooing skills and more and more people would start knocking on his door to be tattooed by him. Don Calavera then moved and worked in different cities across Mexico developing his own unique style. He would come to call his school "Sin Limites" with fellow Oaxacan tattoo artist Cesar Villegas.
WILSON POSADA y DON CALAVERA by SAL ROJAS PHOTOGRAPHY | MISSION DISTRICT SAN FRANCISCO
In 2006, Don Calavera arrived in Southern California seeking to continue the development of his tattoo work, by 2007 he linked up with Wilson Posada of Mexico City's Reporte Ilegal who was now living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today you can catch both Don Calavera and Wilson working at Tribus Vivas DERMAFILIA the first real Latino-based Tattoo Shop in San Francisco. Tribus Vivas DERMAFILIA is located in the heart of the Mission District on Mission Street and 18th Street and is open 7 days a week.
A few months after Sekreto's last California tour I returned to the Bay Area, this time accompanied by BrownPride.com photographer Sal Rojas who was interested in learning more about the local Latino Bay Area culture. We spent a few days in San Jose and San Francisco. We visited Don Calavera and Wilson at their tattoo studio / shop; aside from the tattoos you can also find clothing, accessories, music, magazines and information on local underground Spanish Rock and Hip-Hop events.
written by Danny B. | Photography by Sal Rojas Photography
Tribus Vivas DERMAFILIA
3382 18th Street
San Francisco, CA
Phone: (415) 252-7098
www.dermafiliasf.com
myspace/trivusvivas
myspace/doncalavera
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