Delphin
My tattoo obsession began with my mother, who sports a large piece of the chariots tarot card on her upper arm. By the time I completed my basic training for the Army, I had my first tattoo, a scorpion on my chest. Ever since then I have been collecting work from artists all over the world. When I saw that Delphin (IG: @dealwithdolphin) was going to be in Los Angeles, I reached out to him for an appointment, and also took a chance asking him if he was mixed and would be interested in participating in The PartBlack Project. He was down, and on the day of my appointment, before putting needle & ink to skin, we stepped outside of the SangBleu Los Angeles studios and shot some images. Delphin is French but works in London, and we got a good laugh out of the fact that he travelled across the globe only to experience the same, gray, wet, gloomy weather he had just left behind in the United Kingdom. Delphin also designs jewelry (see the rings featured in the below images) check out his @sans.patrie page. He is a resident artist @sangbleutattoolondon and curates the feed for @frenchprisontattoo.
Q: Do you identify as Black? White? Mixed? Something else? Please describe your ethnic/cultural background.
A: I definitely identify myself as black and mixed, through the years I’ve figured it out and through travelling too.
Q: Who are some PartBlack people who have inspired you?
A: I think my friends mostly, but I take my inspirations a lot more in life from music or art and what’s surrounding me.
Q: Which public figure, of any ethnicity, has had the greatest influence on your life? (This can be an artist, scientist, musician, filmmaker, philosopher, athlete, politician, writer — anyone.)
A: I think the only one kind of famous that could inspire me would be gandhi from the messages he’s sharing but still I don’t think any public figure really inspires me, I need to see and live it to be inspired so I would say my friends that are succeeding inspire me for sure.
Q: Are there any fictional characters from film or literature that have influenced your life? How?
A: Absolutely not, I get influenced from real life stuff haha
Q: What countries have you traveled to, and how does your physical appearance influence how people treat you around the world?
A: I’ve been travelling a lot all my life and I saw growing up how people have been interacting differently with me through the years or through my career.
I think being mixed really bring some interests to people, they always want to know where you from and generally always surprised. Always bring a good conversation, unless they don’t ask and definitely don’t want to talk to you for the same reason. But generally people have been super kind to me.
My face tattoos are the only thing I can see people being weird about in uneducated places to be honest.
Q: Are there other PartBlack people in your life, and/or how do you feel when you meet another person who is PartBlack?
A: They are plenty yes and I don’t think it matters, it’s part of the world or even I would say the future of this world. We will rule the world really soon haha
Q: Which part of your background do you identify with and/or who are you closest to in your family?
A: I’m super close to both in my heart but I’m definitely closer to my white part. The only one really caring about me I guess
Q: What are your thoughts on descriptors like light-skinned, high yellow, Mulatto
A: I think it’s all bullshit really, excuse my french
Q: What are your feelings on the N-Word? Do you use it?
A: I do use it a lot haha and people are definitely telling to stop using but I can’t stop tbh, I’m enjoying using my privilege I guess
Q: In your career, how has being PartBlack helped or hurt you?
A: I think it did help me in a way that there are really not a lot of tattooist mixed, so it’s kind of a fresh air in the industry I guess, I’m not sure, it would be good to ask people about it, they probably don’t care lol
Q: Has ethnicity played a factor in your romantic relationships?
A: Oh hell yer ! Girls love mixed guys !
Q: Growing up, do you feel that you experienced unique challenges being PartBlack?
A: I did when I was young, kids are mean and stupid.
Q: In general, are there benefits or challenges to being PartBlack?
A: I think both personally, it depends in which society I would find myself. This is why I decide to live in England and leave France. I think living in a open and educated society is much more easier for us or anyone tbh.
Q: Have you ever felt that your life would be easier if you were just one ethnicity?
A: I don’t think so and I love challenges anyway, that’s what raised me and make me become who I am nowadays.
Q: When was the first time someone referred to you as or directly called you a nigger?
A: No idea, I think I live in a smart society so people are really careful with this word.
Q: Have you had negative or racist thoughts about people who share any of your ethnicities.
A: Oh man there is dickheads everywhere, and generally I’m not a big fan of human beings so yes I definitely had a lots of them.
Q: Can you discuss some ways friends or family have made your life more difficult?
A: Never happened
Q: Do you feel any obligation to any of the ethnicities or cultures in your background?
A: Absolutely not
Q: Do you consider yourself political, and in what ways?
A: No I know I should care more about politics but I really get so bored of it. ITS A FUCKING TV SHOW
Q: What do you think the world could learn from PartBlack people?
A: THE WORLD
Q: What would you tell your 12-year-old self?
A: Just sit back and relax, but don’t forget to work hard for your future
Q: What has been the most annoying or frustrating thing about being PartBlack?
A: None I love it, from the beginning until the end.
Q: What is your funniest or fondest memory that involves your ethnicity?
A: The size of my d***
Q: If there is anything that you would like to share that I have not asked, please feel free to write something here.
A: We will all be mixed race at some point and that is the beauty of this world
*Photographed with 35mm Olympus Pen-F Half-Frame range-finder, 35mm Contax T2 point-and-shoot, and DSLR Canon Rebel T3i.