Apo Whang-Od: How This 106-Year-Old Tattoo Artist’s Life Was Affected By Her Historic Vogue Cover (Exclusive)

Apo Whang-Od became the oldest person to grace the cover of Vogue this past spring when she was profiled by the magazine for her tattoo work and its cultural significance in the Philippines. The arresting images quickly went viral, propelling the centenarian to a new level of notoriety. So what is her life like now?

Apo Whang-Od keeps the old traditions alive

The 106-year-old indigenous Filipina artist has kept the ancient tattoo art of batok alive for a new generation, passing the tradition down to her grandniece, Grace Palicas, over a decade ago.

The Messenger had the opportunity to follow up on Whang-Od through her grandniece, now a successful tattoo artist in her own right, and "'successor mambabatok' (traditional tattoo artist) in Buscalan, Kalinga in the Philippines," according to Palicas's official Facebook page.

The Vogue piece on Whang-Od elaborates that the ancient tattoo craft can only be passed down from the mambabatok to someone in their own bloodline. Without any children of her own, Whang-Od chose her niece. "I was the first child to learn how to tattoo. I just observed what she did," Palicas told Vogue in April. Whang-Od first started teaching Palicas when she was just ten years old.

Already famous: "She just signs more magazines than before."

Palicas is now 26, and taking Whang-od's legacy forward as she continues the batok practice. Whang-Od is working much less now, Palicas said.

"Apo is doing only her 3-dot signature now, due to her age and the number of visitors who are coming," she told The Messenger. But the 106-year-old is still more than happy to show that she's still got it.

"She always likes when I bring her people [requesting] a larger piece or a full sleeve. She is proud that the knowledge is still there."

The Vogue cover didn't necessarily transform Whang-Od's life — she was already hugely popular in the Philippines — but any additional fame would be lost on her anyway, said Palicas, because she isn't connected to the internet.

"She was already quite famous [here]," she said, "She doesn't get how far the Vogue went, with all of the famous stars who repost her cover."

Whang-Od was featured in an episode of the Discovery Channel series Tattoo Hunter when tattoo anthropologist Lars Krutak filmed with the tattooing legend in 2007. Since then, there haven't been any onscreen new projects in the works, but Palicas said there's one on the horizon. "She's got a documentary project [coming], but it's taking time for people to organize their trip [to the Philipines]."

Interestingly, Palicas said the extra spotlight since the magazine cover hasn't yielded a ton of new celebrity visitors to Whang-Od either: "No new famous people have come here for her since the Vogue cover, but she knows already how famous she is."

"Vogue didn’t change our situation as of right now," Palicas said. "She just signs more magazines than before."