JAKARTA - Brazilian women scarred by burns and other physical trauma, can now seek help from tattoo artists to cover their scars, turning lingering memories of pain into beautiful butterflies, flowers and animals.
The studio of Sao Paulo tattoo artist Karlla Mendes has applied his skills to more than 150 women in Brazil with the project 'We Are Diamonds'.
"You can change someone's life with your art. You can see it in his eyes. His soul is bright and he shines with happiness," he told Reuters, as quoted by March 20.
"That moment made me want to continue with this project," Mendes continued.
Many of the women seeking Mendes' studios are survivors of domestic violence, car accidents, or illness, determined to regain their self-worth by reimagining ugly wounds as canvases for body art.
To get a free tattoo service, interested women should tell their stories and post photos via the project's website.
For Mendes, the tattoo artist, the project satisfied his own desire to help.
"It's just knowing that I really matter," he says, "and can change someone's life for the better."
One of the women who have benefited from this service is Liliana Oliveira. For nearly ten hours, Oliveira watched in awe as the scar on her right arm disappeared, covered with purple butterflies and delicate flower petals.
"It brought me back to life. I became a woman again," she said proudly.
Meanwhile, a traumatic car accident last year left Valeria Festa with a scar on her left leg, an ever-present reminder of one of the worst moments of her life.
"I often can't see and ignore it because when you see something like that bothers you, it weighs on you because it doesn't belong to you," she said.
The tattoos he has now are "amazing," he said.
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