15 Chester County Tattoo Artists Featured At Ravensgate in Phoenixville

“Decorated” at Ravensgate Runs March 1-31

by Victoria Rose, Art Editor

Ravensgate, the tattoo studio, leather goods shop and art gallery in Phoenixville, is celebrating National Women’s History by exhibiting the work of 15 tattoo female artists in “Decorated,” a groundbreaking show that runs March 1-31.

“Decorated” unites female tattoo artists from different studios in Chester County (and one from Lehigh County), showcasing their talents in tattoos as well as their oil paintings, pencil drawings, sculpture, and mixed media.

“Tattoo art has a place in the fine art world,” said tattoo artist Jordan Cunningham, who owns Ravensgate with her leather goods artisan husband John Cunningham. “Tattoo artists tend to exist in spaces separate from traditional art, even though we make complex, custom artwork every single day.”

Jordan is participating in the show with artists from Creatrix Collective (Exton), Iron Thorn Tattoo Co. (Trexlertown), Eight Bells Tattoo (Malvern), Ravensgate (Phoenixville), Sanctuary Esthetics (Phoenixville), and White Oak Tattoo Co. (West Chester).

The days of tattoo shops being all gruff voices and dark corners are long gone. Women are now a big part of the tattoo world. “The industry is shifting, and I think it deserves to be celebrated,” Jordan said. “Women are a much larger part of the tattoo industry than most people think.”

Alyse Lefever from the Creatrix Collective agreed. “The feminine and calm energy you’re greeted with when you enter the studio has really progressed and helped establish my style and skills,” she said.

The artists in “Decorated” came to tattooing through varied paths. Alicia Marie of White Oak Tattoo Co. said she “half-jokingly volunteered” to apprentice as a tattoo artist. “To my surprise, they took me seriously.” Her background was in wildlife conservation, which she frequently incorporates into designs. “I was totally in over my head, but it worked out in the end,” she added.

The show’s artists have their own styles in tattooing and traditional mediums. Jordan specializes in blackwork and fine line illustrative tattooing, while other artists bring bold coloring, natural flourishes, and fantastical scenes to life on skin. “My tattoo designs are created to adorn the natural curves and flow of the body,” said Lauren Monforte of Eleven Embers Tattoo. “I do my best to add a piece of my soul into the designs so they can forever resonate with both the client and me.”

Tattoos are connections to oneself, one’s body, the artist, and the physical world which carries personal meaning and memory. “When you go to a museum full of pieces from famous, dead artists, it’s powerful because you’re connecting with their ideas and feelings across time,” said Chloe Lowery of Iron Thorn Tattoo Co. “A contemporary art show like this is powerful because we can share those thoughts and feelings in the present, and connect with each other without the obstacles of time or distance.”

Of course, there is permanence to a tattoo, and an intimacy that comes with selecting artwork—and a tattoo artist. Many clients form relationships with their tattoo artist that can last months, or even years. Tiana Lamb of Iron Thorn Tattoo noted “people should do whatever makes them happy and comfortable in their bodies and I do love the popularity of tattoos, but I hope people still look at them for what they are and how amazing a science like this is.”

While the technology may change, it is still “an image or words healed into your skin. Your own immune system is holding it in place to stay with you forever,” Lamb said. “It ages with you, and it can tell a story, or hold a memory.”

Ravensgate already holds lots of memories for the Cunninghams, their clients and community. “Ravensgate has several identities,” they said. “It is a tattoo studio, a leather workshop, and an art gallery all under one roof.”

The gallery is truly a curated space, with new monthly shows featuring a wide range of mediums, styles, and subjects. “Maintaining a gallery wall for displaying local art was a goal of ours when we created Ravensgate,” the Cunninghams said. “Artists need community. We need friends who can push us to new heights and who do things that we don’t specialize in,” she said. “We need to be in the business of building each other up.”

“Decorated” is on display March 1–31 during Ravensgate’s business hours, Wed. 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Thurs. 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 12 p.m.-7 p.m. The shop and gallery is located at 207 Bridge St., Phoenixville.

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