American Sailor

Illustration

American Sailor

By the time of the American Revolution, tattoos were already common among American sailors (see sailor tattoos). Tattoos were listed in protection papers, an identity certificate issued to prevent impressment into the British Royal Navy. Because... More

Gulag

Illustration

Gulag

Prisoner’s tattoo during ussr era

Māori

Installation

Māori

The Maori people of New Zealand have a rich history of tattoos. Originally thought to have reached the Maori via east Polynesia, tattooing became an integral part of their culture. Because the Maori considered the head to be body’s most sacred... More

Sak-Yant

Installation

Sak-Yant

A tattoo practice in Thailand, monks would tattoo Buddhist scripts on their skin

yakuza

Illustration

yakuza

Japanese tattoo, popular among gangsters and bandits

Work by

Peiyuan Xu