The Hmong Tattoo Crew is an artist collaborative that came together to explore Hmong identity through the shared cultural expression of tattoos. With Hmong’s intimate relationship with the land as agricultural farmers, it’s not surprising that some of their most recognizable symbols are connected to the Earth, symbols like seeds, elephant foot, and snails. In the Hmong diaspora, there is a growing number of individuals who have permanently tattooed these symbols as a way to show their pride and identity as Hmong.
The Hmong Tattoo Crew develops this exhibit as a catalyst for opening dialog on the Hmong diaspora, on climate change and its connections to all people everywhere, and to interconnect people from all walks of life.
#mytattoostory
Take it to your social media of choice. Share your own tattoo story. What does your tattoo mean to you? We believe that by sharing our love and fascination for tattoos we can build a more understood world.
The exhibit opens at Northern Spark 2017 in St. Paul, Minnesota in the Little Mekong District in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Northern Spark is a free dusk-to-dawn, arts festival that takes place on the second Saturday of June in the Twin Cities and draws tens of thousands of Minnesotans each year.
For the 2016 and 2017 festivals, the theme Climate Chaos | Climate Rising will explore the interconnected, evolving, long-term consequences from climate change, giving local and national artists a platform to help turn a sense of overwhelmment into concrete actions anchored in a realistic and hopeful map for the future.
In partnership with Hmong Museum.
Hmong Museum is a new start-up 501(c)3 cultural organization in the Twin Cities established in 2013. It began as a passion project to bring Hmong history to life and preserve all things Hmong. As a museum without walls, the organization focuses on bringing rich cultural programming to community spaces.
HMONG TATTOO 