Tattooing was the first visual medium that made me sit up and take notice. I remember seeing my uncle's tattooed arms when I was around twelve years old. I instantly wanted to know more…

I was intrigued by the rebelliousness and by the permanence of etching a design forever onto your skin. Something about the way a tattoo can be bought but never sold seemed to make the process pure and exciting. As soon as I turned eighteen, I visited a local tattoo studio. That was how my fascination with imagery began – with what it can represent and how I can use it to tell stories about myself and others.

All Within My Skin is a documentation of two globally renowned black work tattooists: Rafel Delalande and Duncan X. Ducan and Raf told me that tattooing had saved their lives. Throughout the years of being heavily tattooed, it has changed them physically and emotionally. Coming through addictions, tattooing offered self-expression, focus and purpose. There is a mutual respect between them, a sense of mentorship and support for each other, alongside a shared hunger to break social norms and push the boundaries of what tattooing can be. 

As a photographer, I've always been drawn to certain personalities. Individuals who are unashamedly themselves, unafraid to go against the grain. People who stand for something. It was an honour to collaborate with these artists, combining our visual mediums to create something new together.

Credits:

Tattooist - Duncan X and Rafel Delalande.