At home with Mark De Viate

Mark De Viate is the ‘rope god’ at Studio Kink, a space in St Peters dedicated to sharing kinky intimacy techniques. Mark specialises in the centuries old art of Japanese bondage, which requires a lot of skill, and even more rope.

What are your goals as a Japanese Bondage (or Shibari) artist?
To be true to the Akechi Denki tradition. He was the father of the line of Shibari I teach and follow. The practice of Shibari is an exchange of erotic energy.

How did come across Shibari?
I first was exposed to rope bondage used in a BDSM context as a young man. I began experimenting at the age of 20.

Is there any food or drink you find particularly erotic?
Food for me is about taste and pleasure, though in a different manner to bondage or sex. The reaction to fine food is pleasure, but it is quite different to the pleasure that can be derived from sexual stimulation.

If you had to pick a food or drink to use in a kink setting, what would you use?
I’ve used Champagne and rope before for a wonderful finale to a birthday celebration for Hellfire. [Hellfire is a fetish nightclub hosted on Oxford Street]

What do you think of that other great Japanese art form – Japanese cuisine?
I love the attention to detail in Japanese culture, including in their food. It’s the same type of attention to detail, and connection to natural beauty, that is so prevalent in Shibari. I tend to consume fine food for pleasure before or after a beautiful Shibari session.

What is the importance of teaching others the skill of Shibari rigging (tying the ropes) and modelling (being tied)?
To ensure that the fine details of Shibari and the energy exchange are passed to the next rope devotees, otherwise people will just try and copy images and miss out on the substance and the detail that separates beautiful Shibari from simply functional bondage.

If non-kinky intimacy is “vanilla” then what flavour would you associate with Shibari?
Salted caramel is the Shibari distinction from the vanilla world.

For upcoming workshops go to studiokink.com


Spring vegetable and three cheese pasta

Ingredients

• 250g tagliatelle pasta

• 400g fresh broad beans, peeled

• 2 bunches asparagus, cut in 3cm lengths

• 1 tbsp olive oil

2 Zucchini, grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

150g ricotta cheese

60g goat’s cheese

1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese

Methods

1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Drain. Retain ¼ cup of the boiling liquid.

2. Boil asparagus and broad beans until tender. Drain.

3. Cook zucchini and garlic in a large pan, stirring for 2 minutes until tender.

4. Add pasta, steamed vegetables, ricotta and goat’s cheese and the retained liquid to the pan and toss through until warmed. Divide in four bowls and serve with parmesan on top.

Serves 4