Tattoos are an art form that take up permanent residency on one’s body. Many people start collecting tattoos when they are in their early 20s considering you have to be 18 years or older to legally get a tattoo done, but that didn’t stop the exploration in high school when we would watch or give our friends fun stick-and-poke tattoos that are probably now covered up or removed. This artform allows people all over the world to express themselves no matter their culture, background or reason.

As a person who collects tattoos on their body, I decided to create a photo project based on tattooed locals in their 20s. The historic stigma of tattoos being judged and considered unprofessional is now fading away. So after I talked to a few local people and friends, I realized that most of us do not know or even care about the stigma behind the art of tattoos.

With that being said, this shoot features the tattooed people of my generation who are breaking and changing the stigma behind the art everyday. After organizing the photoshoot, I asked the models why they decided to get tattoos on their bodies and this is what they said:

JT said that their tattoos are not only to help express themselves, but that “every mental breakdown equals a new tattoo.”

Nadia Stewert said that she used to beg her mom to take her to their local Taco Bell so she could get temporary tattoos from a vending machine to put on her as a kid. Now her tattoos are something that helps her with self expression. 

Nino Boualany connects all of his tattoos to cultural meanings. For further understanding, Nino said the tiger he has tattooed on his arm is positioned looking back because it stands for protection. 

Cecelia Greene described her tattoos to be art on her body and that when she looks at each tattoo, she remembers where she was at in life. 

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Hi! I’m Catie Pusateri, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.