This Woman Does Free Tattoos For Survivors Of Domestic Violence
Scars can be life-long reminders of abuse, so tattoo artist Flavia Carvalho decided to do something about it. Her project “A Pele da Flor” (The Skin of the Flower) is about giving hurt women tattoos free of charge. For two years, Carvalho has helped women cover scars left from knives and bullets, and from mastectomies as well. She‘s transforming these unpleasant mementos into a tool of emporwerement and beauty.
Flavia Carvalho runs a studio in Curitiba, Brasil. “I started the project quite recently, and I had no idea it would receive this much media attention,” Carvalho told Huffington Post. “It began very spontaneously. As I said, my services are a hundred percent voluntary, and the only “cost” women need to invest is to choose a design for their tattoos!”
More info: Facebook (h/t: huffingtonpost)
“It all started about two years ago, when I worked with a client who wanted to cover a large scar on her abdomen”
“She told me that she was at a nightclub, and when she turned down a man who approached her, he stabbed her with an switchblade”
“When she saw the finished tattoo, she was extremely moved, and that deeply touched me”
“The one that shocked me the most was the story of a 17 year-old girl who dated an older man and, for months, suffered from the physically abusive relationship”
“When he wanted to break up with her, he scheduled a meeting, and after they began to fight, he stabbed her several times in her abdomen, and violently raped her”
She also does free tattoos for women who had had to undergo mastectomy
This tattoo covers up a scar left by a bullet
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This is very beautiful, especially for someone who survived the ugliness of domestic violence.
Humanity showing compassion through beauty. Divine. Inspiring and generating love and acceptance. Celebrating triumphs over villainy and bastardry. Yes.
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Transforming bad memories into pretty tattos is a very loving thing to do! Great to see a brazilian here! o/
Such an inspiring & generous thing to do, healing people in ways others can only dream of. Thank you.
I think that this woman is an incredible human being who shows empathy and compassion by doing this, how wonderful
So amazing. My heart is with her and the survivors! Sending my love and well-wishes to them all!!!
I think that's wonderful :D (although a stranger stabbing you in a nightclub is not domestic violence - it's just violence against women - still horrific tho). I like that she does this for mastectomies as well. Making something beautiful out of something sordid :D
I have worked in the field of domestic violence for 30 years. Anytime you can take something that is an everyday reminder of the violence and ugliness and turn it into a beautiful work of art, its a very GOOD thing. Healing is everything.....
I have been in a Domestic violence survivor I was in a 18 years relationship so bad that my son's was taken from me and when I was with him I had not friends and my family had to stay back... I may have the scars on my face and having to live with out my boys but one day I can be happy again but I know that I can never go back in to a relationship with anyone again and soon I will have my son's back home again even if there be 18... I would have loved to get a tattoo but not on my face
I find it very nice to see some people will help other to cover up such scary things that have happened to them I wish we had some one like this lady here In Brandon Manitoba Canada to do this for some people and I love the art work to
I have luckily got no scars left by my daughters father. All the cuts and bruises always healed well. However, I wish there was someone as lovely as this to tattoo over my childhood thigh gash scar and wrist scars cheap or free local to South East London. But there isn't so I'll have to starve, save up and wait to sink the ink.
Wow do I ever wish you were in Florida. I'm 46. I'll a breast cancer survivor, scars, then I went on to have double wrist surgery and if that wasn't bad enough then I went on to have 3 major spine/back surgeries, the last one being a 3 disc fusion on the bottom of my spine so now I have 28 inches of titanium as my lower back. My sons father cheated on me while I was going thru breast cancer. I got 5 green dots on my chest in plain sight that were tattooed on me for 8 weeks of radiation that I've always wanted to do something with not get rid of. If your ever inoculated Florida I'd love one.
I love it. My brother got some tattoos on his arms to cover scars he got from multiple hospital visits/surgeries as a kid.
What a sad comment on the human race that these things need to be done More power to her!
Who do I get hold of to fix my domestic violence scars? I love this idea to cover up a bad thing and make it a comfortable image instead of a horrific scar to look at....
I think your gift is so incredibly beautiful. I am a woman would has been scarred by violence . To physically cover those scars heals these women inside. You're amazing, woman.. I wish you lived in AZ
To give the gift of her talent, time, and equipment is truly generous and for such a worthy cause, KUDOS!
Great and creative person! This will probably help these victims to move on
your amazing, , just disappointed that my abuse scars , except self harm, are internal.and you wouldn't do me one,
Please text me on messenger. I'd like to have a survivor tattoo done but I can't travel
I find this beautiful. Some day I would love to have my scars hidden. Sometimes it's difficult to see them and remember what I had to endure. This post makes me feel happy and gives me more faith in humanity.
Incredible works of art! As a survivor of domestic violence, and many operations, as well as a tattoo lover, I completely understand and wish I had an opportunity to meet the artist and would be so proud to have her amazing artwork on me forever! You are a true inspiration and I wish there were more artists out there who do what you do. I know it would be life changing for me. Amazing! God Bless.
Totally awesome. It somehow all looks repaired. Physically as well as emotionally great help to give it a place.
This is amazing. She is so generous!! I can relate to some of these women. I have been thought domestic violence, I was shot in the leg by my fiance and few years ago. I have been trying to find tattoo idea to cover it up when I stumbled across this beautiful article. Thank you for turning these tragic reminders in to something gorgeous.
Kind and beautiful...this woman is an artist for art's sake and for heart's sake. <3
What a sad comment on life that these tatoos even need to be done But more power to her!
She turned ugliness into exceptional beauty with a truly rare and exquisite talent.
What a wonderful, giving woman this artist is. May her life be filled with blessings. She deserves it.
This is a very good idea to help some people and a good of way of advertising. Thumbs up, hat off.
I find it impossible to believe that this artist is doing this for the publicity. It is a gift of love and healing, freely and beautifully given from her heart. Not everything is done for personal advancement. This is so much more than that. Don't cheapen it.
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Dumb, isn't it? The scars from violence are what is obscene...not nipples!
Load More Replies...
Wish she do my sister back 2 spinal fusions done. It make alot more happy about it.
Would she not consider doing one for a man who'd been violently attacked?
This is a new project and seems to have grown larger organically - but I bet if you talked to her she would do it. It doesn't seem like she is trying to make a statement or be selective in excluding men who have suffered from abuse completely from consideration.
Load More Replies...
This is very beautiful, especially for someone who survived the ugliness of domestic violence.
Humanity showing compassion through beauty. Divine. Inspiring and generating love and acceptance. Celebrating triumphs over villainy and bastardry. Yes.
Load More Replies... Transforming bad memories into pretty tattos is a very loving thing to do! Great to see a brazilian here! o/
Such an inspiring & generous thing to do, healing people in ways others can only dream of. Thank you.
I think that this woman is an incredible human being who shows empathy and compassion by doing this, how wonderful
So amazing. My heart is with her and the survivors! Sending my love and well-wishes to them all!!!
I think that's wonderful :D (although a stranger stabbing you in a nightclub is not domestic violence - it's just violence against women - still horrific tho). I like that she does this for mastectomies as well. Making something beautiful out of something sordid :D
I have worked in the field of domestic violence for 30 years. Anytime you can take something that is an everyday reminder of the violence and ugliness and turn it into a beautiful work of art, its a very GOOD thing. Healing is everything.....
I have been in a Domestic violence survivor I was in a 18 years relationship so bad that my son's was taken from me and when I was with him I had not friends and my family had to stay back... I may have the scars on my face and having to live with out my boys but one day I can be happy again but I know that I can never go back in to a relationship with anyone again and soon I will have my son's back home again even if there be 18... I would have loved to get a tattoo but not on my face
I find it very nice to see some people will help other to cover up such scary things that have happened to them I wish we had some one like this lady here In Brandon Manitoba Canada to do this for some people and I love the art work to
I have luckily got no scars left by my daughters father. All the cuts and bruises always healed well. However, I wish there was someone as lovely as this to tattoo over my childhood thigh gash scar and wrist scars cheap or free local to South East London. But there isn't so I'll have to starve, save up and wait to sink the ink.
Wow do I ever wish you were in Florida. I'm 46. I'll a breast cancer survivor, scars, then I went on to have double wrist surgery and if that wasn't bad enough then I went on to have 3 major spine/back surgeries, the last one being a 3 disc fusion on the bottom of my spine so now I have 28 inches of titanium as my lower back. My sons father cheated on me while I was going thru breast cancer. I got 5 green dots on my chest in plain sight that were tattooed on me for 8 weeks of radiation that I've always wanted to do something with not get rid of. If your ever inoculated Florida I'd love one.
I love it. My brother got some tattoos on his arms to cover scars he got from multiple hospital visits/surgeries as a kid.
What a sad comment on the human race that these things need to be done More power to her!
Who do I get hold of to fix my domestic violence scars? I love this idea to cover up a bad thing and make it a comfortable image instead of a horrific scar to look at....
I think your gift is so incredibly beautiful. I am a woman would has been scarred by violence . To physically cover those scars heals these women inside. You're amazing, woman.. I wish you lived in AZ
To give the gift of her talent, time, and equipment is truly generous and for such a worthy cause, KUDOS!
Great and creative person! This will probably help these victims to move on
your amazing, , just disappointed that my abuse scars , except self harm, are internal.and you wouldn't do me one,
Please text me on messenger. I'd like to have a survivor tattoo done but I can't travel
I find this beautiful. Some day I would love to have my scars hidden. Sometimes it's difficult to see them and remember what I had to endure. This post makes me feel happy and gives me more faith in humanity.
Incredible works of art! As a survivor of domestic violence, and many operations, as well as a tattoo lover, I completely understand and wish I had an opportunity to meet the artist and would be so proud to have her amazing artwork on me forever! You are a true inspiration and I wish there were more artists out there who do what you do. I know it would be life changing for me. Amazing! God Bless.
Totally awesome. It somehow all looks repaired. Physically as well as emotionally great help to give it a place.
This is amazing. She is so generous!! I can relate to some of these women. I have been thought domestic violence, I was shot in the leg by my fiance and few years ago. I have been trying to find tattoo idea to cover it up when I stumbled across this beautiful article. Thank you for turning these tragic reminders in to something gorgeous.
Kind and beautiful...this woman is an artist for art's sake and for heart's sake. <3
What a sad comment on life that these tatoos even need to be done But more power to her!
She turned ugliness into exceptional beauty with a truly rare and exquisite talent.
What a wonderful, giving woman this artist is. May her life be filled with blessings. She deserves it.
This is a very good idea to help some people and a good of way of advertising. Thumbs up, hat off.
I find it impossible to believe that this artist is doing this for the publicity. It is a gift of love and healing, freely and beautifully given from her heart. Not everything is done for personal advancement. This is so much more than that. Don't cheapen it.
Load More Replies... Dumb, isn't it? The scars from violence are what is obscene...not nipples!
Load More Replies... Wish she do my sister back 2 spinal fusions done. It make alot more happy about it.
Would she not consider doing one for a man who'd been violently attacked?
This is a new project and seems to have grown larger organically - but I bet if you talked to her she would do it. It doesn't seem like she is trying to make a statement or be selective in excluding men who have suffered from abuse completely from consideration.
Load More Replies... 
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