tattoo of the week: krystal

Krystal proudly says: “When you’re this badass you can still have a forearm tattoo AND a job that pays taxes”! She’s our Tattoo of the Week. To submit your tattoos for Tattoo Of The Week, send pictures + answers to the questionnaire below to afropunk@afropunk.com.

-Name:Krystal

-Age: 27

-City: Brooklyn, NY

-Occupation: Head Teacher/Creative Director at a Pre-School Non-Profit

-How many tattoos do you have? 4

– Which one is your favorite?

My favorite is my half-sleeve of flames, of course.

-When and where did you get it? I started it 3 years ago(I’d had the writing 2 years before that) at East Side Ink in the East Village. My artist, Sweety, changed shops about a year ago and 3 months ago I reconnected with him and finally finished it.

-What does it mean to you? This tattoo will eventually become a full sleeve. It’s about taking something perceived as negative, destructive, chaotic even, and turning it into something beautiful. That is what life is. Years ago, I felt like I’d set my life on fire. Destroyed everything. But slowly, good things started to grow from the ashes. Eventually, there will be roots and a beautiful tree that stretches onto my back and gives shade. It’s a living artist document of my life thus far.

-How old were you when you got your first tattoo? 17. Thanks big sis!

-Why should we feature your tattoo? It’s the shit! AND I’ve debunked the myth about tattoos and non-conventional jobs.

-Do you have a particular tattoo artist you go to? If yes, where is he/she located? Website? The artist that I went to for my half sleeve is called Sweety. His shop is Rivington Tattoo in the Lower East Side, NYC

-Have you ever received a tattoo under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Nope

-Do you regret any tattoos you have? I do actually but only because I hate having to explain what it mean to people (since it’s personal). But that’s what happens when you have a tattoo on a visible part of your body. It becomes a topic for the public sphere.

-Are you a tattoo addict? Sometimes I think I am and other times not. I think the only reason I wouldn’t be an addict is because I have a very finite amount of canvas.