Flavia Carvalho, an imaginative and compassionate tattoo artist from Brazil, thought of a unique and creative idea to help other people. Using her gift with colors and needles in the name of art, Flavia began her year-long endeavor called ‘A Pele Da Flor’ or in English translation, ‘The Skin of The Flower.’
Brightening someone else’s day does not necessarily need money. Nowadays, charity comes in different forms, aside from donating money and old belongings, you can also dedicate your skills to be of service to other people.
Some people with compassion volunteer to be Sunday teachers, others can be found cooking filling meals in the kitchen, others even volunteer to be firemen and trained medical first aid provider. You see, there are a lot of ways to help other people, as the saying goes, if there is a will, there is a way.
This brilliant project of Flavia aims to transform scars acquired by women from childbirth, medical operations or other conditions.
The talented tattoo artist, Flavia, made it her mission to help women heal from the dark history of their battle scars, and instead, learn how to love, embrace, and be proud of their scars. What makes Flavia’s mission even more admirable is that she transforms scars of different sizes and structure free of charge! The tattoo artist uses her art in order to help women heal and move on from their grim past.
“It all started about two years ago, when I worked with a client who wanted to cover a large scar on her abdomen. She told me that she was at a nightclub, and when she turned down a man who approached her, he stabbed her with a switchblade. When she saw the finished tattoo, she was extremely moved, and that deeply touched me.” Flavia shared in an interview, stating how she was inspired to use her craft in the healing process of abused women.
Scroll down and prepare to be touched by the documented before-and-after photos of the Skin of The Flower project. Learn more about the story of heart-tugging scarred women, who just like their transformed scars, came out beautifully stronger from their tragedies.
It is quite hard to believe that the joyous scenery of birds flocking around the blooming flowers, pictured above, were once a scar. No one could ever imagine the painful experience which the woman endured. The tattooed woman was a victim of violence abuse and an attempted murder. She was stabbed in her stomach and also sustained scars from medical treatments.
The woman, whose skin is pictured above, chose a truly suitable tattoo design befitting her life story. As a woman who had lived on the streets as an addict for two years, she surely had experienced the darkest of her life, facing all kinds of violence possible. Her scar was a reminder of the time she was assaulted with a shotgun.
But just like the phoenix Flavia tattooed on her scar, she is capable of rising from the ashes of her burnt past. She is now a reborn woman who is more than ready to brave the challenges of tomorrow.
Flavia chose an appropriate tattoo design to cover the dark elongated scar on the back of the woman, which she acquired through a bullet fired by her former boyfriend. To transform the grim scar into an epitome of hope, she filled it with blooming cherry blossoms.
The cherry blossoms in its full bloom, is a symbolism of femininity and new life; while its short-lived longevity, is a meaningful reminder that our numbered days should be lived to the fullest.
The scars pictured above were acquired by a young woman who was stabbed by her drunk boyfriend during a heated argument. She recovered from her heartwrenching ordeal, while her boyfriend died from drug and alcohol intoxication. And now that she is ready to face the world with a healing heart, she chose the lively and spirited picture of a woman to be painted on her skin.
As mentioned before, Flavia does not only cater to abused women but as well as to those who were victims of unfortunate accidents. The burnt skin pictured above, was the result of a tremendous fire that had engulfed the nightclub Kiss.
The tragic accident caused the lives of almost 250 people. The woman chose to have the image of a warrior to be painted on her skin, as she, one of the few lucky ones, survived from the incident and bravely lived her remaining days without her beloved man, whose life also perished on the fire, by her side.
Truly, Flavia’s project does not only transform scars into beautiful vivid tattoos, for through her project, she was also able to change the women’s tragic experiences into a testament of courage, hope, honor, and new beginning.
Photos | Flavia Carvalho