Would you get a bruise tattoo?
It sounds like a joke, but it’s a real trend. So-called “bruise tattoos” mimic the marks left by a blow, with purples, pinks, greens, and yellows mixed together as if the skin had just taken the hit. Some are abstract, others are heart-shaped, and others look like an injury that appeared this morning.
The trend has gained momentum thanks to the work of several tattoo artists, especially in South Korea, and is now circulating online. According to Dazed, there’s a curious idea behind it: finding beauty in something we normally try to hide.
For some artists, a bruise combines pain and recovery. For others, its unpredictable colors and shapes are pure inspiration. And some are looking for something even stranger: making permanent what, by nature, always ends up disappearing.