Originally from Toronto, internationally renowned tattoo artist Sarah Bolen is currently a resident tattooist at AKA, one of Berlin’s leading tattoo studios with a gallery space attached. Not only has tattooing become more socially acceptable in recent years, it has come to be regarded as an artistic genre in its own right and is increasingly featured in the realm of “high art”. Bolen, who calls her style “Americana tattooing with a Victorian twist” and claims to be obsessed with birds, had both sleeves and both sides of her neck done before she turned 22 and still gets a new tattoo each birthday. Recently, she performed her art at the Arratia Beer gallery, where candidates were encouraged to bring their own designs. “It had nothing to do with tattoo art, and some of it was not really tattooable, so I had to change some of the designs, but the concepts behind them all were fantastic”, recalls Bolen, and adds, “I had to really make sure people had thought it through properly, some even wanted tattoos on their hands.” Like any truly professional tattoo artist, Bolen has a strong sense of responsibility towards her clients: “There is a common misconception that tattooists are crazy party people. But in this job you can’t be tired or hung over, and you must be healthy. We are the most boring people I’ve ever met!” Well, this certainly doesn’t hold true for Sarah.