illuminated ink photography by eric jukelevics
I wanted to be fully
y covered in tattoos. –Shon Lindaur
Being a heavily tattooed woman is like talking about politics or religion - sometimes it's just not appropriate. Everyone has an opinion and my appearance can be quite pushy. [But] I am educated, articulate, successful, thoughtful, kind and respectful.
My interactions with people change minds one at a time along this journey! –Jessica Bennette
People ask me if I deployed to protect my country or family... I tell them I did not fight just for America or just for my family. When we fight it's about the person next to you.
We fight 'For Each Other' so that every man makes it home alive and in one piece. –Steven Millar
My entire back is covered with four different flowers which represent the four seasons, evolution, and beauty. The Geisha and Hanya Demon are taken from the Noh play where the Geisha's unrequited love for the priest creates anger and jealousy and eventually turns her into a Hanya Demon.
This represents my unrequitted love for life despite the challenges I may face. –Bisou Le
I've always admired large floral tattoos on women, so I decided to get one of my own. –Julie Benedetto
The tattoo on my stomach is a Samuel Beckett Quote, 'Sleep Till Death Healeth Come Ease This Life Disease,' which is in memorial of my mother who died in 2002 from cancer.
The tattoo on my forearm is a quote from the Bible.
It reminds me that everyone is allowed to question authority, faith and their beliefs at some point, to feel alone. –Eugenia Borkowski
I got praying hands over my breast bone for a close friend of mine who passed away. I got them on the first anniversary of his death because
I thought a little bit of pain was necessary for that day. He had them tattooed over his heart so this is pure love for him.
I'm amazed that a creature like a peacock even exists. I chose the peacock because of its divine beauty. I wanted something that I would never one day decide I didn't like. Depending on which walk of life you encounter, the peacock can symbolize love, good luck, bad luck, vanity, virility, ego, purification, royalty, enlightenment, protection. The list goes on.
[My tattoo] is sort of this wonderful secret I get to keep. –Carol Tessitore
[Inspiration for the tattoo came from]
acknowledgment of self-imposed limitations and release from them.
The release from what had felt like an emotional vice into the composed pain of a tattoo that large and emotionally charged was transformative. –Tamale
I really don't put too much weight or thought into my tattoos.
The larger, more beautiful ones are ones I got to signify something for myself but I am also a fan of getting tattoos on the fly, just for fun. –Jennye Patterson
[It] is about friendship...what it means to you and what you are willing to do for it. How it is so absent-minded and unavailing, never knowing what it really wants...
so fragile‌ precious, and one day it can just be gone. –Scarlett Dancer
quoting Albert Camus' The Fall.
Shon Lindaur ARTISTS: Regino Gonzales, Grime, Jason Kundell, Norm, Justin Shaw
Julie Benedetto ARTIST: Amanda Wachob
Jessica Bennette ARTISTS: Mike Schweiggert, Topper, Josh Hoffman, Seth Ciferri, Patrick Dean, Dan Higgs, Matt Rinks, Kevin Leblanc
Eugenia Borkowski ARTIST: XxXxXxXxXxX
Jennye Patterson Bisou Le ARTIST: Michael Sikes
ARTISTS: Scott Campbell - arm. John Reardo - chest.
Steven Millar ARTIST: Xoll
Scarlett Dancer ARTIST: Eli
Tamale ARTIST: Keely Tacket
Carol Tessitore ARTIST: Stephani Tamez at New York Adorned / Brooklyn Adorned