For the last two years, Colombian tattoo artist Kalaca Skull, whose real name is Eric Yeiner Hincapié Ramírez, has undergone extreme body modifications to change his face.
Since childhood, he has been fascinated by skulls. But he only started making his face look like that of a skeleton after his mother passed away, because she didn’t like extreme body modification.
Apart from cutting off the tip of his nose and removing his earlobes, he also had his tongue split in half and tattooed a blue-grey colour. He even had large black circles tattooed around his eyes to form ‘sockets’, and had large teeth inked around his mouth.
“Body modifications are a personal decision and should not be judged. It is like judging a woman for getting breast or buttock implants,” Kalaca Skull said.
“For me, a skull is like my sister, a part of my family really. I feel very attached to them.”
“I made the changes because it’s a look we ‘all share underneath our skin and in death.”
He said the surgery was a “dream come true.” He even has more procedures planned to complete his transformation into a living skull.
Despite his terrifying appearance attracting stares in public and making strangers uncomfortable, Kalaca insists he is a “normal” person who just happens to look “different”.
I just feel good the way I am.
