The Ink Link – Robbie Kruse

The Ink Link is an ongoing project at CN&CO that showcases tattoos in the workplace. One of the great things about a tattoo is that it goes against the commonly-held viewpoint that “what you see is what you get”. There’s a misguided belief in certain quarters that in order to be a working professional, it is categorically *impossible* to have a tattoo… because how can someone with a tattoo be a professional? We are putting paid to that perception through the stories showcased in the Ink Link. If you or anyone you know would like to be featured, please get in contact with us.

 The latest ink link blog is by CN&CO’s Rikus Kok – our admin and events nerd. He decided to share with us the tattoos of one of his good friends, Robbie Kruse. Robbie is a very well known face on Afrikaans television for the popular TV show BRAVO on DStv channel 144. Non-Afrikaans folk might know him better for his voice as the sports presenter on the Roger Goode Show on 5FM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rikus and Robbie have known each other for many years now, and have done some crazy things together that they will remember forever – like the yearly Innibos festival in Nelspruit, and watching Mumford and Sons in SA with Robbie’s beautiful wife Lynn Kruse and another great friend, Jenny Griesel.

 Robbie and Lynn will become the proud parents of a beautiful daughter in November. We at CN&CO want to congratulate you both and we can’t wait to see her. We also hope that she will be wearing a little gift we will be sending her way.

 Robbie has got some great tattoos that Rikus saw developing over the years and thought it would be great to do a ink link about his tattoos. Rikus asked him a few questions about tattoos and this is what he had to say…

1 – Why do you have tattoos?

“I express myself through my body art, some people hang their art on their walls, I wear mine on my skin.”

2 – What does your tattoos mean to you?

“Every tattoo is different; every single one tells a different story, or has a different memory. It means I have committed my life so much to something, that I will wear it with pride on my body.”

3 – How many tattoos do you have at the moment ?

“I started with one, like everyone does. I have since sat (or even lain down) for about +/- 25 hours of work. Some pieces had a lot of detail, others are more simple pieces. In total I probably have nine different pieces.”

4 – Will you get more tattoos ?

“Any day. Who is paying…?”

5 – How old were you when you got your first tattoo?

“I got my first tattoo when I was 22 years old. I wanted that tattoo for 5 years before I got it.”

6 – What is your perception on people who have tattoos and do you have a message for people about people who have tattoos?

“I feel that if someone wants to express themselves through body art, then go for it. It’s your body. Own it; make it yours! Also, don’t judge us cause we have tattoos. In fact don’t judge anyone. It’s not your job. You are not better than anyone else. If tattoos make me happy, don’t ruin my happiness; be expressive, do what you want. Fuck the rest.”