Philip Campbell

Philip can trace back to the moment he became an artist; it was in the first grade when his older brother taught him to paint the crabapple tree in his front yard. From that moment on, he never stopped creating. Over the years, his artistic interests surfaced through many forms including wood carvings, sculptures, and even a collection of tattoos. For his renewal, he decided to continue the ritualistic tattooing of his entire body to detail “the story of who I am.” Clocking in over 100 hours and receiving tattoos every two weeks, the black ink markings were permanent carvings, scarring, and staining of the skin, very much like the carvings and painting of wood.

For Philip, each session of the transformation was spiritual in approach and completion. Each tattoo session also added a jolt of creativity. “Even though I meditate before each session, I never know how my body is going to react. I could experience extreme pain, chills, burning sensations, bursts of adrenaline, euphoria, or all of the above, but it always renews my energy and vision.” His wood carvings reflect and inspire his tattoos and his tattoos inspire his carvings. “When my energy levels were low, my creativity was lacking, and my senses were dull, I knew that it was time for a new tattoo. The excitement of a new project, the pain of its execution, the discomfort of the healing, and in the end, renewal. The process inspired visions for new work.”