featured
artists
The making of UnScarred would not be possible without our featured artists, who have donated their time and craft to supporting this project. Each artist brings their own unique style to the film. They all share the passion of helping survivors of trauma and illness reclaim their bodies and find power through the art of tattoo.
dawn grace (She/Her)
Dawn is based in Chicago, where she was born and raised. She describes herself as “ridiculously anal-retentive, which is a blessing and a curse.” Along with artistic designs, she offers 3D nipple/areola tattooing for breast cancer survivors, surgical scar coverups/embellishments, and re-pigmentation. Dawn has been the go-to for all types of scar tattooing. Along with helping her breast cancer warriors, Dawn works regularly with survivors of self-harm. She is honored and humbled to help serve survivors.
Dawn has been tattooing professionally since 1998, after serving a formal 2-year apprenticeship with Cap Szumski at Timeless Tattoo in Atlanta, GA. Through blood, sweat, and tears, she earned her way into the craft. She returned to Chicago in 2004 to be nearer to her family and began working at Tattoo Factory in the notorious Uptown neighborhood. She remained there until November of 2012.
With love and blessings from her Tattoo Factory family, she opened a private studio in 2012 in Old Irving Park neighborhood on the Northwest side. In October of 2017, Brennan and Dawn opened Bella Rose Tattoo in Albany Park, Chicago.
jt torres (he/him)
John Torres (JT) is a veteran tattoo artist, born and raised in the Bronx, NY — where he tattoos today. He has been tattooing for over two decades and calls the infamous Tuff City Tattoos his home. Along with tattoo, JT has a passion for the NY graffiti scene. He’s known for his Japanese and traditional style of tattoos. His favorite part about being a tattoo artist are the customers, especially listening to their wild stories and hearing their different points of view.
JT is also a husband, a father of two adorable kids, and a substitute teacher.
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shane wallin (he/him)
Shane Wallin is a twenty-year veteran of tattooing, and is the owner of Garnet Tattoo in San Diego. In 2012, Shane tattooed over the scars of a breast cancer survivor for the first time, and was surprised at how much the tattoo changed both the survivor’s life and his. He has been tattooing over the scars of survivors ever since.
As long as Shane could remember, drawing has been one of his major passions. In his teenage years, Shane took up interests in skateboarding and punk rock music, which opened up a whole new world of creative influence. In the early 90s, he started working with Brian Qualley at Acme Tattoo, owned by legendary tattooer, Don Nolan. Through this experience, he felt as though he found his calling.
At Garnet Tattoo, Shane and his wife Toni, the studio’s operator, focus on creating a safe space for the survivors during their tattoo process. Shane wants his clients to feel proud and strong when they look in the mirror and see their tattoo.
med (he/him)
Med is always first a graffiti artist and is the owner of Tuff City in the Bronx, New York. He has been tattooing for over 30 years. In 1984, MED bombed his first subway train. His skills were nurtured by the great legends of New York City and growing up in the trenches of Hip Hop Culture.
He opened Tuff City in The Bronx in 1993 after mentoring with Seen, back when tattoo shops were still illegal in New York City. Since then, Tuff City Styles has grown into a legendary graffiti, tattoo, digital and music production institution, inspiring and fostering the present and future generation of graffiti writers and artists. Over the past 30 years, legends from around the world make pilgrimages to leave their mark on the walls and voice their support.
Med is an accomplished illustrator that has worked with Fortune 500 companies including McDonalds and Pepsi, his artwork has been featured in magazines, newspapers, TV shows and documentary films and exhibited at galleries and exhibitions through united states and the world.
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Brigitta Mathe (She/Her)
Brigitta is a Hungarian tattoo artist. Before moving to the Chicago in 2019, she spent time in London developing her craft. She is proud and honored to use her talents towards helping people cover their scars with tattoo.
Brigitta is influenced by everything surrounding her, but mostly fascinated by imperfections. She loves realism and vintage blackwork and she likes the shine in your eyes. Even though, mostly a self-taught artist, she has learned a lot from different artists she worked with. She paints and draws with a lot of different media and techniques since she has been creating art all her life. Brigitta uses life as an inspiration, she spends time watching human faces and observing how different objects and materials reflect in the light.
todd mclean (he/him)
Todd Mclean is a tattoo artist originally from Brooklyn, NY. He got his start as a graffiti writer and then picked up airbrushing. It was while working at an air brush shop that he became interested in tattoo work. He currently lives in Philadelphia and is the owner of Big City Tattoo.
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