Jo Covington, Contributing Writer
When looking around at Richmond’s rich tapestry of culture through the art of tattooing, it is hard to miss the amount of people in Richmond who show their unique personalities through tattoos.
Tattoos are not only symbols to represent the identities of those who have them, they can also be the catalyst of developing those identities.
Local tattoo artist Trinity, @forest_fairy_tattoos on Instagram, has tattooed as a career for two and a half years, but she has been immersed in the art form her entire life.
“My dad has been showing me how to tattoo since I was about ten years old,” Trinity said. “Our house while I was growing up was partially a tattoo studio, so I interacted with his clients a lot and got to see him tattoo every day as a child.”
Trinity now works alongside her father in a private studio they share in Richmond.
“My most favorite story is when I got to tattoo my pawpaw,” Trinity said. “He came to me for his first tattoo and it was absolutely so much fun to get to tattoo him.”
Like Trinity, many people choose these sentimental pieces to provide a sense of belonging or a reminder of where they came from.
Local Richmonder Adham Rekni got a matching sun and moon design with his mother as his first and only tattoo in November of 2024 in Lakeside.
“It’s meant to symbolize how the bond between a mother and son is eternal, like celestial bodies,” Rekni said.
Rekni described Richmond’s tattoo culture as thriving, noting that the city’s tattoo scene complements the strong art community at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Adam Peniguet, a third-year interior design student at VCU, got a tattoo of two koi fish, symbolizing the Pisces zodiac.
“I’ve wanted it since I was 15,” Peniguet said. “It’s to match my father who has a Scorpio tattoo on his back.”
Peniguet has four other tattoos in addition to his coordinating piece, including two different Pokémon, a reference to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – a manga and anime series – and angel numbers he resonates with.
Tattoo meanings can span from an ode to loved ones to interests, hobbies and aesthetics that one might hold dear.
Taylor Best got her first tattoo at 17 years old and since then has accumulated nearly too many to count.
“I have a lot of dragons and skulls because I like them,” Best said.
With her arms and legs covered in bold pieces and flames, Best has over 50 tattoos and plans to get more in the future.
Despite their stories being different, Trinity, Rekni, Peniguet and Best each expressed plans to get more tattoos in the future.
Regardless of what someone’s reason to get a tattoo may be, the sentiment behind each was enough to commit to it being etched into skin forever.