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4 months ago

Tattooing Origami Butterlies

If you’re here, you’re probably already aware of my goal to tattoo 1000 Origami Butterflies, and I’ll assume that you’re curious to know why. Well, hopefully by the end of this it will be clear as I share my experience and hopes for the project.

1000 Paper Cranes

There is a popular belief that folding 1000 paper cranes will make your wish come true (“senbazuru”). This practice derives from Japan and was popularized by the story of Sadako Sasaki, who attempted to fold 1000 paper cranes while suffering from leukemia after the Hiroshima bombing. Due to the emotionally-charged cultural context of this practice, it is a goal that should be pursued with spirit and genuine intent.

Last year, with all this in mind, I began a wholehearted attempt at tattooing 1000 unique paper crane designs. However, after only tattooing about 40 of these, I gave up. I didn’t lose passion for the project, but I did face a lot of issues along the way and these issues caused me to lose motivation.

A selection from my previous paper crane project

Why the Crane Project Failed

There are a few reasons for this: the most obvious issue is that the shape of a paper crane is just not very flattering on the body. The designs looked great on their own, but when applying them to skin, there were only a few very specific places that the tattoo would look appealing and natural. This leads to my next issue: even when committing to one of these limited placements, the shape of the tattoo made it extremely difficult to photograph. If I’m to pursue a multi-year project, it should be recorded.

The Biggest Issue

This one is touchy to speak about but probably the most disheartening.
It is the idea of cultural appropriation. As a straight white man, I’ve had to explain or defend my motives many times over the years, especially since I openly pursue and sell Asian-influenced artwork despite never being to Asia. This is a nuanced issue and I’d typically rather avoid conversations pertaining to it, because even if I’m able to ‘prove’ myself worthy, I wouldn’t want clients to experience the same discomfort.

Butterflies

After being discouraged away from the paper crane motif, I thought: What symbol is universally understood as transformative?
Since the core purpose of the tattoo process is transformation, I believe that all tattoos should intentionally be designed to reflect this. Butterflies are universally understood as symbols of transformation as they so obviously undergo change through metamorphosis. Maybe to some this a generic design concept, but nevertheless, it’s timelessly beautiful and purposeful. And so, I began working on a series of butterfly tattoo designs.

…This project also failed.

Sample from my canceled butterflies project

Unfortunately, I just felt like I couldn’t make the designs both unique and appealing. I overthought the entire project, never satisfied with the results, and decided not to share them. It wasn’t until recently that I thought, “why not combine the two…?”

Revelation

Through reflecting on the issues I faced with the paper crane project, this is the realization I came to: Origami is not inherently culturally significant (after all, this is known as a Japanese craft but actually originated in China and has similar roots in Europe). However, paper cranes specifically are culturally significant, because of their somber association with war.

By using Butterflies as the foundational symbol for this project but in the form of origami, I can draw from Japanese art as intended while promoting culture instead of borrowing from it.

Origami Butterflies seems like such an obvious idea in hindsight, but I guess I was in too deep and my thoughts were scattered. Time away from the project allowed me to see it clearly, and after all this iteration, I’m finally content with the current concept.

Examples from my Origami Butterfly designs, which are now available

My 1000 Butterfly Wish

This project stemmed from my desire to fulfill long-term goals. This is the way I’ve always lived, constantly looking 5, 10 or even 20 years into the future. I’ve learned that this isn’t typical though. Especially when it comes to tattoos, as people often seek fashionable, small tattoos that provide instant gratification. This isn’t an issue necessarily, but accepting these tattoos only serves to pay my bills. It leaves me with little to look back on as a creative-minded person and can make my job as a tattooist feel less like an art career and more like an average office job.

Aside from tattooing I have other creative goals: the main goal being video game development. This requires an extreme amount of time and energy. By providing these Origami Butterfly tattoos, I’m streamlining my tattoo process and granting good luck charms to the individuals who want smaller work, whilst also working towards a long-term personal goal. Hopefully this inspires a sense of comradery and instills the tattoos with even more value to the wearer.

By extension, this streamlined workflow helps to fund my video game project and because of this, I’ll implement origami butterflies as a symbol in the game itself. By completing 1000 Butterflies, I’ll be fulfilling my wish of developing my game projects and in the end, I’ll be able to compile a book that catalogues and celebrates all of these tattoos.

The multi-faceted nature of this project makes it extremely important to me. I’m excited to share and grateful to anyone who participates.

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