The strangers of downtown Toronto share the unique stories behind their permanent body art  

By Kayla Solway

I don’t have any tattoos of my own, but I am always curious about the ink on others. I’m intrigued by the backstories and how the shapes, colours and unique designs have come to be. Was it a spontaneous decision or a carefully planned tattoo that holds deep meaning? 

For Isabella Keats, this was the case for her first tattoo, done in memory of two of her grandparents. 

“The tattoo wraps around my wrist like a bracelet. In my inner arm, it says ‘Love Avó,’ which in Portuguese means grandmother. On the other hand, in my other grandmother’s handwriting, it says ‘Love Grandma.’”

After a three-year battle with brain cancer, Keats explained that one of her grandmothers had sadly passed away over the winter break.

“I wanted to get something to commemorate her, and this seemed like the best way to do it.” 

After searching through storage and finding old birthday and Christmas cards, Keats was able to get both tattoos done in each of her grandmother’s handwriting. 

“Both these women in my life have made me the person I am today, and without them, I wouldn’t be me. Why wouldn’t I not want to commemorate them?”

Sidney Haqq chose her arm tattoo for its design rather than its profound meaning.

“I follow a lot of tattoo artists based on their artwork. As a photography student, I appreciate aesthetics, so I lean towards something more creative than meaningful,” she said.

Haqq received the ink only a few months ago after picking it as a flash, a pre-prepared design usually found in street shops and suitable for quick walk-ins. After making a few slight changes to the design, she settled on the final product.  

For Hiyab Redae, her only tattoo carries a deep meaning and represents her younger sister.

“There were a lot of reasons I got it, one being my little sister. We have this little joke where we say four in a British accent. It’s so stupid, but my sister is close to my heart.”

Only one week after her 18th birthday, she had the number four done in red ink, although it did take preparation with her mother.  

“My mom is very Christian and traditional and does not approve of tattoos. My older sister has a lot of tattoos, so I conditioned her for weeks upon getting it.”

Although small, the ink on her hand is something Redae will carry with her forever, a reminder of her love for her younger sister and a new chapter as she transitions into adulthood.

Matti Leppik is an artist at Chronic Ink in downtown Toronto who shared his most meaningful and prominent tattoo. It took over four years to finish, spans from his neck to his knees, and contains a wide array of colours. 

“It was a big commitment, seeing as it’s almost half my body and a big process with the artist,” said Leppik. 

“I wanted to make sure that the tattoo was done historically in a way that accurately depicts the Japanese style tattoo. At one point I wanted something to be purple and thought it would be cool. My artist was like ‘No, that’s not what colour that character is historically.’”

The main subject of the tattoo is the Indian Buddhist teacher, philosopher and author named Nagarjuna. Surrounding Nagarjuna are patterns that spread across Leppik’s shoulders and all the way down his back.

“He taught at the Madhyamika school of Buddhism. The core of the teaching is the middle way. It means emptiness, not in the sense of nothingness but more in the sense of everything being connected. His teachings and principles will be something I take with me my entire life, and it will always be important to me to take the middle path,” he said.

Olivia Adolfo, who is now 22, got her first tattoo just days after turning 18: two roses interconnected on her arm. 

“I’m named after my grandmother, Rosie, and my middle name is Rose, so I got it for the both of us. I planned it the day after I turned 18, and I definitely don’t regret it!”

Another delicate floral motif found its home on Keesha Levesque’s back, her tenth and most recent tattoo. She had just moved to Toronto, and it was her first week as a student living in residence at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

“I was in the elevator of my building, and I overheard a girl talking about her recent flash tattoo at a nearby shop. I liked the work, and she explained that they took walk-ins. So I thought, you know what, let me start off this new journey in Toronto with a tattoo.”

Levesque has many tattoos that mark significant events in her life and symbolize personal growth. It seemed only fitting for her to get a new ink on this occasion.

“This is my only flash piece and will probably remain the only one. I put a lot of thought into the tattoos I get and want to be a part of the design process, but I thought why not be spontaneous and get a flash.”

Levesque expressed that this is the first tattoo she feels genuinely proud of.

“I have some pretty tattoos and feel proud to wear all of them, but this one was very well done and such a cute spot. Now every time someone asks me about it, I get to tell them: it was the start of my journey to Toronto,” Levesque said.