Reveal, Conceal

There are many reasons people chose to become tattooed however one overriding theme is love. This can be romantic love, familial love, friendship, happiness in love and heartbreak. Tattoos are a visible means of expressing such powerful feelings however the true meaning is known only to the wearer. We might presume a heart shape relates to love, but we do not know the depth of meaning, or what compelled the wear to have these feelings permanently inked onto their skin. This project set out to collect tattoo stories relating to love, in gathering the stories the meaning behind the tattoos were revealed. This concept was further explored in the photographic series where the raw emotion behind the tattoo was stitched into the worn garment revealing concealed feelings and emotion.