the tattoo teachers,

the guides to the great

unknowables,

the stewards of stardust

etching luck + glory

into skin:

women

I have spent several summers surrendering myself to the prickings of new pieces begging to be born, to live their life alongside/within my own.

Connecting with tattoos as a practice of spiritual devotion + active prayer has redefined my approach.

My research led me into the depths of tradition, tugging on threads left behind from femmes of

cultures.

According to Japanese mythology, tattooing was gifted from the "ancestral mother, * " and passed down through the matrilineal line.

Women have celebrated their first bleeds, declared their readiness for marriage, emboldened themselves with emblems of protection, and have proven their worthiness of reincarnation through their dedication to this painful practice. The accompaniment of song and fire cultivated ceremonies of profound worship. There remains a realm unknown as these rituals have been ravaged and renounced time and time again, their stories buried. Powerful customs waiting to be reclaimed.

I have found meditative rebirth when aligning my tattooing practice with the moons, with the solstices, with my studies, and with my blood.

While deeply personal, enriching, and grueling, I use this space as a catch-all. A holding ground for the self-adorned sigils as they announce themselves ready to be shared, for the wealth of wisdom found within texts, documentaries, stories, and lore, and for all that may wish to resurface through me and my inked surface : as another tattooer along the matrilineal line.

Inuit +Osage + Ainu

In 2022, I started collaborating with Kentucky Foundation for Women to support these ambitions. They equipped me with the gear necessary for this artistic devotion and the communal encouragement required for its success.