A book about contemporary tattoo practices
MY ROLE
Complete Creative Process – Writing, Art Works, Design, Photography
WRITTEN BY A TATTOO ARTIST
A non-fiction art book, treating tattoos like contemporary art.
Capturing the intimate stories and meaning behind flow tattoos, this book is a love letter to the tattoo enthusiasts and the queer/feminist communities of Zurich.
A non-fiction art book, treating tattoos like contemporary art.
Capturing the intimate stories and meaning behind flow tattoos, this book is a love letter to the tattoo enthusiasts and the queer/feminist communities of Zurich.
The book's visual language flows like water, mirroring how wavy flow tattoos move with the body's contours. This organic flow principle guides every design decision in terms of imagery, narrative structure and grid systems. Each chapter represents a layer of the dermis; Each page spread is designed as a complete visual experience.
Photography direction and execution focused on capturing both the precision of linework and the vulnerability of the tattooing moment, as well as documenting the artistic process from idea to motif. Hand-drawn illustrations and design proposals underline the individual nature of each tattoo, complemented by the explanations and interpretations alongside them.
The book is written from the tattoo artist’s perspective, infused with elements of art historical descriptions of the craft and its symbolism. At a total of 104 pages, the bookkeeps a balance between high quality images and personal ancetodes from tattoo projects by Juno Wela in Zurich, Paris, Berlin and Brussels.
This coffee table book reflects on the intimacy of visual storytelling on skin, from client's vision to the healing process, crystallizing thoughts after six years of working as a tattoo artist in Zurich and Paris. It addresses the lack of serious consideration of tattooing as a contemporary art form within art discourse and art book publishing.