hi
i'm jax (they/she). i am a trans, asian artist in chicago with a focus on tattoo art, fashion design/creation, and some illustration and mixed media work.
I was a really weird goofy-ass kid. I was awkward and short but i was really friendly and cool so. I was really bad at all traditional sports, like I used to strike out at t-ball; but I had all this undirected energy, so my parents put me in this circus program. when I started circus, it felt like I had found this interesting, obscure kind of way of expressing myself that really drew me in. i specialized in contortion, partner acrobatics, aerial fabric, and wheel gymnastics. i was really pulled in by the way in which circus performance allowed for a physical storytelling and was my first introduction to any kind of art. i have competed in circus competitions and performed around the world and am the #1 ranked wheel gymnast in the country (had to flex on em).
I became interested in fashion in high school after binging a bunch of documentaries about fashion designers and watching a lot of americas next top model. i'm drawn towards avant grade and more sculptural fashion design and i'm really interested in the intersection of fashion and performance art and storytelling. designers like Alexander McQueen, Iris Van Herpen, and Hussein Chalayan are some of my faves.
I was first introduced to tattooing when I was 13. I gave myself the shittiest, most busted triangle stick and poke tattoo on my hip because I was really into the illuminati at the time. i've been hand poke tattooing seriously/professionally since october of 2020, and its been literally so much fun. i have had a very complicated relationship with my body my entire life and tattoos have really helped me to continuously work through that and I know thats the case for a lot of people. the fact that people put their trust in me in tattooing, is very humbling and im very honored <3