The world of tattoos and the art form of tattooing have made a revolutionary transformation over the last several decades. Seeing a person with tattoos used to be an anomalous occasion, the subject labeled “freakish” or an “outsider.” Tattoo parlors were either maligned by the general population or speculated about. As with most ways of seeing and understanding, these views have evolved. tattoos have now become widely accepted and even celebrated by many. I believe that the reason for their increase in popularity is that on a very basic level, we are seeking a deeper meaning in our lives.

With the dawning of the information age, certain Technological advances have fractured us in a profound way, making it even harder for us to stay in touch with our bodies, Mother Nature, and our roots. Tattooing, a primitive and universal way of honoring the sacred, is a way to mend this split, to bring us closer to wholeness. For many, it marks important rites of passages. It documents. It heals. It puts us in our skin.

Images hold more power than words, conjuring up hidden parts of ourselves from the unconscious. When tapping into these depths, we find and are able to express meaning, and as a result, a potential for personal and collective healing. If it is meaning that we crave, receiving a tattoo can be a powerful experience when approached with conscious intent.

Mystic and scholar, Joseph Campbell once said, “Artists are the modern-day mythmakers, shamans, and storytellers.” With this idea in mind, I find it essential to channel my art in this way, to be among the helpers in the facilitation of bringing to life/flesh the stories of others. What a remarkable thing it is to see so many people choosing to express their inner contemplations through art applied on such personal locations. it gives me great pleasure to be among the leading edges of such a noble profession. after 40+ years of working, watching, and waiting. I am excited to say: The world finally gets it.

– Vyvyn Lazonga