By stubbornly sticking to their tradition of inking their bodies, the Iban – who make up the state’s largest ethnic group – eventually put Sarawak, and by extension the entire island, on the global tattooing map. And that distinction is not lost on tattoo artists in the adjacent state of Sabah, who admit to enjoying the good reputation affixed to Borneo when it comes to the art courtesy of their southern neighbour.
Unlike Sarawak, however, the inking tradition was not as well preserved in Sabah despite their similar cultures and experiences facing
