Golnaz Taherian | Arts Editor
Featured Image: Angelina’s story will inspire you to do your own soul searching. | Golnaz Taherian
Angelina Wells is a fourth-year Dance and History student, but her interests expand beyond the classroom. Wells is also a spiritual tattoo artist. A dancer since age three, she used to perform annually in the Nutcracker at the National Ballet of Canada’s Christmas show.
Wells started tattooing when she was 13 years old, and has been practicing professionally for two years. Both of her parents have artistic abilities, so it runs in the family. Though she may be a natural, she worked hard on those skills and now owns her own tattoo studio.
Wells doesn’t prefer tattooing with a machine; rather, she employs the Tebori style, a Japanese method in which you hand tap bamboo upon the person’s skin. The artist considers this traditional style to be very spiritual and feminine.
The Tebori style heals much more quickly than regular tattooing, which takes 6-8 weeks to heal. With Tebori, after 12 hours, you’re good to go swimming and sun-bathing.
Wells’ tattoo space has a sensual, comforting vibe. Her students meditate and prepare with her beforehand. The client’s have a say in what music gets played, and what visuals get employed.
She works with the client’s energy to find out what the client needs, and they create a design together. Then they go through the whole ceremony. Wells says, “we sage them, we bless them. From there we do the tattoo and they have to work on their breath to go ahead and release anything they need to release during that tattoo.”
Wells’ tattoos cannot be replicated. They are unique to each individual. She notes that “the tattoo is created for you and your spirit.” Her artwork comes from a deep well of passionate inspiration and vision.
Like she says, “If you’re passionate about it and you always work from light and love, then you can’t go wrong.”
