ALWAYS WITH ME

I did this piece for my cousin in memory of his mother.
She wanted to get a rose tattoo but unfortunately she didn’t have time to do it so he decided to get it tattooed instead. A kind of homage, with all the symbolisms that this flower brings with it: love, passion, suffering, etc.

The gate is an obvious representation of the transition between this world and the afterlife.
An afterlife that he imagines to be as serene as an ocean at sunset, situation in which he feels in harmony with the universe, therefore it’s also a representation of the newfound peace after the dramatic mourning.

I immediately imagined the swallow, symbol of fidelity and family, cleaning its wings. A minimal representation of what mothers give us: the ability to be independent, to take care of ourselves to be able to “fly”.
Moreover, birds have always been associated with their beautiful singing and given the passion for music he shared with his mother, this adds meaning to the entire piece.