We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wendi Kai. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Wendi below.

Wendi , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I worked on was in college. I was taking a letter press printmaking class. I had always wanted to try this seemingly archaic type of production. It was as tedious as I had expected, which has always steered me away from printmaking. I did enjoy the lead letters and the process though. There’s really nothing like being in the studio making art for art’s sake. The final for this class was making 50 or more production pieces with the press. It could be printed on any paper type you chose and had to be used in a final product. I wanted to explore installation art in the buildings space. I printed on translucent white paper a Carl Sagan quote. Reminding the viewer as humans we were forged in long dead stars. I used a zig zag pattern of string in a corner. I cut and folded each printed piece into a sculptural shape I suspended from the zig zag shape. It was a very fulfilling project.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I may have been born to be an artist. As long as I can remember I loved to create. When I was in grade school in the 80’s the question “What would you like to be when you grow up?” was common. I knew the day an art student from a nearby college brought art in for us to look at. I’ll never forget seeing Miro’s work for the first time. I had no idea you could break the rules like that and be celebrated. I was fascinated and decided whomever could create something like that is who I wanted to become. I went to a community college in Florida right out of high school to study art but didn’t have the focus I needed at that time to succeed. I continued painting, making jewelry, crocheting, I tried pottery and dabbled in sewing into my 30’s. That’s when I had the privilege to return to school and pursue my Bachelors in fine Art, focusing on Painting. After starting college again, as a single Mom, I took my son to a birthday party of his friend. The Dad of the friend and I got to chatting and he told me he was a tattoo artist and teacher at a local tattoo shop. The Tattoo School is an Oregon construct that licenses tattoo artist/shops to serve as ‘Private Career Schools’. You have to go through one of these honestly, awful programs, to get a license in Oregon. Lucky for me Lane Community College that I was attending had an Apprenticeship Trades program that allowed me to be at the job site and get college credit hours. This provided me the ability to pay for the Tattoo School with Financial Aid money. A program that unfortunately no longer exists. After tattoo school I began my career and 16 years later here I am. Things were not easy in the early 2000’s for female tattooists in the male dominated industry of tattooing. It was incredibly misogynistic and exclusive. Things have changed for the better in the industry but tenacious perseverance was necessary when I started. I began doing dot work, geometric and mandala/symmetrical tattoos in 2015. This brought a bit of transcendence into my tattooing. A theme I’ve pursued in many mediums. I’m now a shop owner and seek to provide an environment that is inclusive, encouraging, motivating and helpful in an artist’s growth. I do my best to share information freely with new tattooists not seeing them as my competition but my comrades. Tattooing has provided me everything I desired to live a life I couldn’t have dreamed of as the kid I once was. I have the freedom and responsibility of being my own boss, setting my hours and terms of services along with travel and time off when needed.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I’d have to say survival which has turned into thriving. As a survivor of childhood abuse and narcisissitic parents art provided me an escape route and was a catalyst. It has provided me everything I longed for and hope to see in the world . It has given me confidence and helped me forge my own visual language. It has taught me about emotion and transcendence.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I had to learn is there’s no such thing as lack. I’d like to acknowledge this view is intrinsically tied to my privilege and is not necessarily a reality for everyone. Early in developing a clientele in the tattoo industry I experienced some artists wanting to gatekeep and not share knowledge or information. I read this as a sign that they saw things through a scarcity or poverty mentality. Which I think feeds into fear and being closed off. I have found with focus and perseverance you get back what you put in to this work. In the beginning of my career one of my peers said to me “There’s something for everyone.” Which reminded me of the illusion of scarcity and to not be so quick to judge others work. I have seen that there is an appreciation at all levels of a tattooists skill by clients. I think it is agreed that there are some technical points that make something ‘good’ but really anything goes ! There will always be enough clients and enough work, as long as you have growth, dedication and a lot of drawing as your focus.

Contact Info:

• Website: moonmaidentattoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinklady
• Other: Oddities and curiosity work: https://www.instagram.com/ornamental_remains