He’s currently making waves as one of the best, if not the best tattoo artist, in San Francisco, but Jeff Maronilla-Seva Quintano always ensures to pay homage to his Filipino roots through his designs.

The Filipino tattoo artist incorporates “Baybayin” into his work to keep the ancient writing system alive and to educate more people about it, whether Filipinos or other nationalities.

Quintano quit his job as a motion graphics artist in the Philippines in 2013 to pursue his passion as a tattoo artist.  

When he moved to San Jose, California in 2018, he decided to incorporate Baybayin into his designs, as he was inspired by the deep appreciation of the Filipino community for their roots and culture.

“I then realized that this is the community I want to serve. For me to do a better job, I felt I had to educate myself more,” said Quintano, who did a lot of self-study about the pre-colonial writing system by reading books, watching videos, and talking with other Baybayin enthusiasts.

While he’s at it, Quintano realized the importance of educating other people about Baybayin. That inspired him to start a workbook about Baybayin in 2019, which he released two years later.

“There’s always a ripple effect. So whatever knowledge people can get from this book will be passed on to others. That is the goal,” he said.

To further spread the word about Baybayin, Quintano donated 132 Baybayin workbooks to the Manila City Jail and the Women’s Correctional in the Philippines.

In January, he had his first solo exhibit at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center in San Francisco where he showcased his Baybayin tattoo. On the last day of the exhibit, he organized the first Baybayin Symposium in the United States, where he invited other Baybayin practitioners as speakers.

“The Filipino community here has made a massive contribution to the revival of the script. I just hope to document that so more people can see it and know more about it,” he said, adding that he wants to bring the symposium to other parts of the United States to help break the stigma about tattooing and to inspire others to appreciate their identity and roots.  

“The Baybayin revival movement that is thriving here, especially in the Bay Area, is creating a ripple effect that will inspire others to be proud of their identity. I’m really grateful to be part of that,” Quintano pointed out, hoping this success would also help pave the way for the recognition of tattoo as an art.

Now, Quintano’s work has broadened beyond the four corners of San Jose. The  “Humble Beginnings” tattoo shop now has a clientele base across Northern California and beyond, and his works have been showcased at various events.