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From Canberra to California, a tale of a female tattoo artist

Tattoo artist Anna GK in front of her street art.
Tattoo artist Anna GK in front of her street art in Canberra. Photo: Scherry Bloul

Anna couldn’t help but notice inked skin around her, everyone that frequented the pool had tattoos. It’s 2007 and Anna is working at a swimming pool in North East Washington DC. She has spent much of her teenage years in DC after she moved there from Australia’s captial in about 2004.

Now, an entrepreneurial tattoo artist who specialises in tattooing dark pigmented skin [OR ALL SKIN TYPES] and located in California with a large following to match, one would hardly suspect her to be born and raised in the public service town of about 350,000.

But, Anna Gardener Keightley has much more to talk about than merely growing up in Canberra.

By her account, Anna has always felt odd in a lot of circles, but the overwhelming comfort she felt for the industry made her realise this was her chosen career.

“It was probably a crowd following decision to get a tattoo… but I went in to get one and vibed really nicely with it and the people,” she said.

“We joked around a lot and I just wanted to go back to that shop all the time because it felt so comfortable and it’s like the industry adopted me.”

But she didn’t get into it straight away.

“They made me work for it, it was about three years until I actually got my apprenticeship.  I brought my work in and they said: ‘we need to see more colour work, we need to see more heavier lines, we need to see some lettering,'”

It wasn’t until she moved to Canberra and back again that Pinz N’ Needlz told her to come in for a trail.

“I was on a sort of probationary/volunteer work volunteer clean-the-shop for about six months and then one day Chris [the owner] accidentally referred to me as the apprentice- not directly,” she buzzed.

“I went home and smiled for about two weeks straight after that because I was the apprentice.”

Anna in action - tattooing her favourite tattoo she ever designed
Anna in action – tattooing her favourite tattoo she ever designed. Photo: Scherry Bloul

She knew she had reached her next milestone when her mentor, Chris Mansa, said: “I think you’re ready for pig skin.”

“I went to the Chinese market and bought a pig’s foot to tattoo my name on it. Then I’d tattoo pig’s ears and then eventually I tattooed myself,” she said.

Anna explained the tatoo industry is folk art, and quickly learned the specialised skill sets needed for different types of skin.

“Everyone has different texture, people with African heritage are more likely to keloid, white skin feels a little bit like leather compared to [it].

Indeed the whole spectrum of ethnic heritage in the US has made Anna acutely aware of race and minority politics in the white-male dominated industry.

Many white-owned parlours might not take the time to change a tattoo design to make it look better on darker skin, she said.

“You can’t put the same amount of detail, you can’t put the same colours, you have to do some different tricks with colour-blending,

“For instance if someone has darker skin and you want to make something yellow – you can’t just put straight yellow- you’ll have to blend it from magenta to orange to yellow,” she said.

There’s a certain sense of empowerment Anna feels when female clients choose her as an artist.

“I love being chosen by a woman –because we’re also taught to believe men know how to tattoo best- it’s a real honour.

With each client, Anna is able to interpret different societal politics. For example, she recently tattooed two women who came to get stars on their faces who had faced a barrage of criticism from the people they knew.

“They thought it was funny that so many men and women said ‘oh you’re too beautiful to get stars on your faces’. Because our bodies are under such scrutiny from ourselves and the media a woman getting a tattoo is almost a bigger deal than a guy getting a tattoo,’ she said.

The stigma attached to tattoos has made it dificult for Anna’s family, now some of the biggest advocates of her work, to come to terms with her profession.

“I think it was stressful for my mum for me to be doing something that doesn’t have a path, that definitely doesn’t have a path in her eyes. But that doesn’t have a clear category on the tax form,” she said.

Anna GK's favourite design and tattoo
Anna GK’s favourite design and tattoo. Photo: Scherry Bloul

When asked what she hoped for her future, Anna said: “I’d like to tattoo forever, travel and tattoo. But I also want to build furniture.”

Favourite tattoo you’ve ever done?

It’s on a Canberra resident acutally, the nautilus on Hannah’s back.

Wierdest experience?

One of my first walk-ins, this guy came in to get an upside-down cross near his private parts and giggled throughout.

Favourite experience?

Always when a friend trusts me to tattoo them. But at the moment I have this really cool client who gives me pretty much free reign.

Anna GK tattoos is now based in Pacifica, California. To find out more or see more of Anna’s art follow her on social media or check out her website.

By Scherry Bloul

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