This Brazilian Woman Turns Domestic Violence Scars Into Beautiful Tattoos

"We have a long way to go regarding protecting women from violence."

21 March, 2018
This Brazilian Woman Turns Domestic Violence Scars Into Beautiful Tattoos

Two years ago, a woman walked into Flavia Carvalho's tattoo parlor and asked her to cover up a scar on her abdomen she had from being stabbed at a nightclub when she turned down a man's advances. From there, Carvalho decided to start providing free tattoos to women who'd been left with scars from domestic abuse and surgeries like mastectomies. 

Carvalho calls the service "A Pele da Flor," which means "The skin of the flower," in Portuguese and says it's been an incredible experience, with women from all over the world contacting her. 

"They come to the studio, share their stories of pain and resilience, and they show me their scars. Embarrassed, they cry, and hug me," she told Huffington Post Brasil. "Then we design the tattoo and we schedule the session. They become excited, optimistic. It is wonderful to see how their relationship with their bodies changes after they get the tattoos. ​"

Carvalho says she's hoping that in the future she might be able to partner with women's rights organizations to raise more awareness about domestic abuse, but for now, she runs this project alone, saying that no other tattoo artists have expressed an interest in joining her. 

"It is a grain of sand; the world is full of things that need to be addressed. We have a long way to go regarding protecting women against violence," she said. 

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Credit: Cosmopolitan
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