Skin holds the flesh in. It holds the things we are unable to speak into words, it grabs you in time and you obediently cooperate with its earthly demands. We form a relationship with ours as we do with other’s skin, this is mine and that is yours. We customise it as it is our home; hanging up an artwork here, laying down a rug there. 

Tattoos tell a story without speaking, all at once, they tell you of the culture, place, social status, interests, history and identity. They also tell you things about how a person lived, whether they have faded from too much sun exposure, how they've morphed from the body’s movements and fluctuations. 

Tattoos mark an identity in time and a constant changing; a permanent impermanence, and we are listening whether we want to or not. In our nature, we feel the pull of the skin begging us to understand it, to make sense of it. We need to know the meaning and why someone chose to put it on their body. Then, we form our own opinions. We make up our mind about what is acceptable and what is not, what is a “good” tattoo and what is not. We adore a new tattoo yet reject one that has seen too many seasons change. A bad tattoo or an old tattoo unconsciously reminds us of our own imperfect body and our mortality.

There is a deep desire to understand others and their tattoos, and through this, confusion and rejection takes root. With these “Skin Graft” paintings, the skin is separated from its body. It is separate from its projections. You’re invited to look with childlike curiosity; without an opinion, to see the beauty, to let the symbols wash over you, to feel the pull of the skin, to listen to the stories it tells without speaking.

CHERIMOYA

(((For any enquiries regarding purchasing or customs email me at sexypermanently@gmail.com)))