Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matcha Munro. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Matcha , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of my best friends died, pretty suddenly, about a year and a half ago. He was someone that expanded my view of the world and held space for me in a way that no one else ever had. Shortly after his passing his family held a traditional wake and after that there was a small gathering, that was similar to a quaker funeral. His mom spent all day preparing trays of snacks and small bites to eat and the people who came were of the most precious in his life. Something about Aidan was so special that I never took our relationship for granted. It felt like every time we hung out, it was a really conscious decision made by both of us. This quaker meeting felt the same, I knew it was a huge privilege to be there and that I was invited very intentionally. I had never been to a quaker funeral before, so I didn’t know what to expect but after everyone had arrived, it went something like this: we were guided to the yard and asked to sit. We did, in the sun, in a circle, some in the grass and some in chairs. Next, we were thanked for being there and told that the purpose of this circle was to sit and mediate together, to reflect privately on our experiences with Aidan, and that if we wanted wanted to share we were free to do so (while either sitting or standing). So we sat and we cried and we shared, and at the end, when that part of the ceremony was over, it felt as though we had properly done something to at least begin the healing process. And I felt properly like part of his family, warmly welcomed and adopted in. Aidan was cremated, I honestly can’t remember if he had expressed that wish before he died or not, but knowing him, he probably did. And for about a year his family was looking for a tattoo artist to tattoo them with his ashes. I was tattooing at the time but felt it wasn’t my place to offer to do something so sacred. I was new to tattooing and had never worked with ashes before, but one day I got a message from his mother asking if I could be the one to tattoo her. And obviously I said yes. First we did a very small practice tattoo, to see how the ashes would react in her skin. After everything healed well, I ended up giving her three more tattoos all with ashes. I also tattooed his sister, brother in law, and two friends each with a small sprinkle of what was left of his physical body. It was the most beautiful and soul filling feeling to be able to serve such a precious community and honor someone who had given so damn much to me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After I graduated I was working in this small coffee shop in my home town and after a few months I figured out that one of the regulars who came in actually owned the building and the tattoo shop next door. I had always loved tattoos. I didn’t have to think about it or question it, the love was just always there. When I was 18 I went to nyc and got 2 tattoos and that’s just how it was. So when I learned that this guy owned the shop, I was in there almost every day. We talked about life and art and I ate lunch and I watched this guy sit and paint d&d characters for hours. It was the first look I had at what it might be like to pursue art full time. After bugging him for a while he eventually let me tattoo myself (not with a machine, just a needle, as requested). I was hooked. It was so fun, and thrilling and exciting and I just wanted to keep doing it. I was known in my home town as the “art kid” (which makes me cringe a little now) but because of this, I had people who were willing to let me tattoo them even though I had zero experience. So I kept doing these hand poked tattoos. After a little while it became obvious that although this guy (the owner of the shop) thought it was cute to entertain my tattoo fantasy, he wasn’t actually going to invest time in teaching me or prioritizing my appointments. So I said, “see ya” and started tattooing out of my parents house. I moved out and life got kinda stressful so I gave it up for a while. Without guidance or peers it was kinda tough for me to find direction but when I moved to nyc in 2021 I knew it was time to give it another go. And ever since then, I’ve been learning and growing and tattooing and it’s been such a journey.

I describe myself as a queer hand poke tattoo artist. If you want a definition, that’s the best one I’ve got, and all of those descriptors are important. Me being queer, means that if you’re queer and you want a tattoo from me, you know I’ve got your back. I’m not going to say any weird sexist shit or sexualize you or judge you based on your presentation (not saying that being queer is synonymous with being a good person but as someone who’s been through intense trauma -which a lot of the queer community has been-, I’m careful not to cause it). Hand poke is an important descriptor because it’s different from machine tattooing, which people will assume I do if I just say I’m a tattoo artist. I’m facilitating a very specific experience for those who want it, so I want them to be able to identify me quickly. I often get the opportunity to give people their first tattoo because maybe in the past they’ve been afraid to enter a traditional shop or they’re intimidated by machines, and those tattoos are always really rewarding. The gentleness and pace of the craft is so truly beautiful and I’m proud to call myself a hand poke artist.

Something else I’m really proud of is this flash book I’ve been crafting which is going to double as a portfolio. The idea behind it is that I want to tattoo tools – and only tools. Which might sound odd, but let me explain; tools are really anything that we use to help achieve a goal, and with that as a definition the possibilites are seemingly endless. And I love that. This overarching theme will prompt both me and the tattoo recipient to ponder different items in our lives and define their purposes. We get to evaluate our most important tools, or uncover tools we never realized were tools! For example, there are spiritual tools, like mantras or geometric designs or a matcha whisk and there are very literal tools like hammers and nails and scissors and printers. And each of them play a role. I’ve been drawing fish a lot lately, which I’ve defined as tools I use to reconnect with my childhood but maybe they will mean something totally different to whoever decides to get them tattooed. To add to that, these fish are tools in their own way by being part of their own complex ecosystem. See what I mean? Isn’t it so fun. I’m doing all of this because I love to introspect and connect and share. Hopefully this project is just the tool I need to find the clients who will benefit most from my practice, ideally curious and introspective and more than willing to share, because that’s the best part (of this practice but also of life). SORRY I’M CORNY. Can’t help it. I just want to be able to pry into someones mind, see what’s in there, shake things up and leave them with something that makes their life a little better. That’s the goal. It just is.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I started tattooing in my parents house when I was 18, and I am currently tattooing in my parents house at 22. Again. After living in nyc for almost two years I never thought I’d be back here. I knew it was possible but I didn’t think I would ever be back here, and when I was in the city, I used all of the tools in my f*ck*ng tool belt, and gritted my teeth and tried and tried and tried and life just put me back here. I was in NYC! Surrounded by so many amazing people. Networking and discovering and growing. And a huge part of me thought that coming back to Michigan would be the death of me. My story was that I was a nyc tattoo artist, and there was so much merit in that for me. But, I don’t know, I feel like the most important thing right now is that I’m still tattooing. I’m still doing it. I’m still trying and still getting inspired and still moving. Maybe I’m not in a big beautiful chaotic city all alone chasing my dreams, but that doesn’t mean that what I’m doing here is any less important than what I was doing there. And if I’m meant to be there then I’ll end up back there.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Most of the tattoo artists that I met and saw online were preaching that tik toc and instagram were bringing them all of their clientele. Maybe that’s true for them and maybe eventually it will be for me, but I severely underestimated the power of finding clients through friendships. And I used to discount these clients like they weren’t as meaningful because they knew me and thought that having strangers from the internet get tattoos from you was somehow better, what bullshit. CHERISH YOUR FRIENDS WHO WANT TO SUPPORT YOU. Being friends with your clients is such a beautiful thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/matcha.qwing
• Instagram: tool.box.ma

Image Credits
Orion Rodriguez