Photography

The Girl With The Banksy Tattoo

Most people might not realize it, but tattoos can have immense power and meaning behind them. They are more than just ink applied to your skin — they hold the stories of ones life within them, and can serve as a reminder of how far they’ve come in their journey, or how much further they still need to go.

I got my first tattoo at age 19 while working at summer camp; a small dolphin on my left ankle. For me, tattoos are very personal; I consider my tattoos to be feminine in their appearance and appeal, and I have always found them to be very gender affirming.

Banksy’s Balloon Girl is a little girl wearing a dress letting go of a red heart-shaped balloon. The meaning? You’re beautiful. This is just one of Banksy’s ironic pieces. His art has been called anti-establishment, anti-capitalist, and socially conscious by critics and fans alike. His work can be found in cities all over Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and North America. In my case, Banksy’s Balloon Girl is now tattooed on the front of my left leg.

I chose Banksy’s Balloon Girl as a tattoo because it reminds me of my childhood. As a young girl, if my father got a good report from my teachers after picking me up from school in New York City, he would buy me a red balloon on the way home.

Very special thanks to Shannon at The Crone Collective in Burlington, Vermont for tattooing this masterpiece!

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