Our story
Ancientmark is the exclusive Hong Kong partner of Arjan Nit Kanphai.
How we met
How the partnership began
The journey so far
- July 2024: Arjan Nit's first visit to Hong Kong
- February to April 2025: second visit period
- September to December 2025: autumn visit period
- May to July 2026: summer visit period
- From November 2026: the next visit
Ancientmark today
We have worked with Arjan Nit for more than two years. Over eight visits, more than 750 people have taken part. Ancientmark arranges each visit in Hong Kong and looks after enquiries, bookings and aftercare.
In 2023, we flew to Chiang Mai for a Sak Yant. We never imagined that meeting Arjan Nit would lead to bringing him to Hong Kong—or to building Ancientmark.
We were simply looking for an ancient blessing, a meaningful tattoo, and an experience to remember. What followed became something much more personal.
A stranger who felt like an old friend
From the moment we met Arjan, there was a warmth that was hard to explain. We had arrived as strangers, but being with him felt more like catching up with an old friend.
There was no sense of distance. He was a teacher and a mentor, but also someone we immediately felt comfortable around. That feeling has stayed with us ever since.
When he invited us to lunch, we were overwhelmed. We had come for a tattoo and a blessing; sharing a meal with him was more than we had expected.
Then, during our conversation, he asked whether we would look after him if he came to Hong Kong.
We thought he meant a holiday.
“Of course,” we said.
Then Puri, our translator, explained: Arjan meant coming to work.
“Oh… no, no. We might not be the people you’re looking for. We’re just here for a tattoo and a blessing.”
An invitation we weren’t ready for
Organising Sak Yant events in Hong Kong had never crossed our minds.
We didn’t know where to begin, how to reach people, or whether anyone would come. We also didn’t want to make a promise we couldn’t keep.
So we said no. More than once.
But Arjan never rushed us.
“Take your time. Learn slowly.”
That was what finally gave us the courage to say yes—not because we suddenly knew what we were doing, but because we were willing to learn.
Even now, we sometimes wonder what he saw in two people who had simply walked through his door.
Four months of learning
We spent the next four months sorting through thousands of photographs, studying Arjan’s work, and trying to understand the designs and the meanings behind them.
Most of it happened after our regular working day. Night after night, we would sit down together, work through another set of photographs, and wonder how a trip for a tattoo had turned into all of this.
Alongside that, we spent four months working through the arrangements for Arjan’s first working visit to Hong Kong.
We told him from the beginning: either we wouldn’t do it, or we would do it properly.
That meant securing the appropriate visa for every working visit. We have never held a Hong Kong event with Arjan without one.
Looking after him meant taking that responsibility seriously.
Our first lesson: good intentions don’t make a good schedule
We wanted guests to have booked appointment times, rather than spending the whole day waiting for their turn.
But wanting a better experience and knowing how to deliver it were two different things.
Our three-day trial in May 2024 made that very clear.
We underestimated how long the work would take and how much time each appointment needed. Sessions ran over, the schedule slipped, and many bookings had to be moved to July.
If you were one of the guests we rescheduled, you probably still remember it. So do we.
It was a difficult beginning, and an important lesson: a booking system only works when it respects the time the craft—and each person—actually needs.
July 2024: meeting all of you
Our first official event followed in July 2024.
That was when Ancientmark truly began to take shape—not just through the work behind the scenes, but through meeting the people who came through our door.
Since then, we have kept learning: how to organise better, keep clearer records, make the space more comfortable, and give every guest a more considered experience.
Thank you for becoming part of that journey.
有緣和大家在此墨路相逢。
Our journey, one visit at a time
The trip that started everything
2023 · Chiang Mai
We travelled to meet Arjan Nit for a Sak Yant. An unexpected invitation to look after his Hong Kong visits became the beginning of Ancientmark.
A small trial, a steep learning curve
2024-05
Our first attempt at bringing everything together. The schedule did not go as planned, but the lessons shaped how we organised the events that followed.
Our first official event
2024-07
Our first full event with Arjan Nit—and the beginning of meeting so many of you.
The visit that gave us a hashtag
2024-09
An eighteen-day run that showed us just how much energy Arjan brings to his work.
From spreadsheets to our own app
2025-02
We built our first internal app to replace our Excel worksheets, making bookings and guest records easier to manage.
Another first to remember
2025-04
A space of our own
2025-10
We renovated the adjoining space to create our own entrance and a more comfortable, private setting for guests.
Two memorable additions
2025-12
Creations that travelled beyond our room
2026-05
Some of the work shared during this visit reached far beyond the people attending the event.
Building the next chapter online
2026-07
We began bringing our existing records together and developing the Ancientmark website, with a more comprehensive system to help guests follow their bookings.
The next chapter
2026-11
Our next visit with Arjan Nit. Another opportunity to meet, reconnect, and continue the journey together.