The Loyal Match
Archive Entry: 1495 + 1496
Volume: Realignment (Memorable travels, landscapes, nature hideaways)
Medium: Skin
Key notes/components of inspiration:
-
Japan
Cityscape
Landscape
Matching Tattoos -
Hachiko Statue
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Tower
Temple
Hokkaido Mountains
Countryside
City Skyline -
Undying Loyalty
Mutual Commitment
Complementary Perspectives
Shared Love
The composition of this piece spans across three layers, blending visual and conceptual elements from first aesthetic cues to its deeper narrative core:
Their storytwo paths, one shared promise
This husband and wife duo wanted a pair of matching tattoos to honour their fondness for travelling through Japan together. Rather than getting identical pieces, Jeremy and Davina proposed a design concept that celebrated their individual preferences while having the same anchor motif to ground their values of loyalty.
Thus, there can only be one choice of Hachiko, Japan’s ultimate symbol of unyielding loyalty and steadfast love. Standing at the forefront of both tattoos, Hachiko represents the promise that they have made to each other.
Behind the statue, the backgrounds split to reflect where each feels most alive. For his piece, we created a visual homage to Tokyo’s iconic urban landscape: modern landmarks like the Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower cluster above a traditional temple in the foreground, capturing the city’s harmony of old and new. For her piece, we traded concrete for peace with Hokkaido’s expansive serene mountain ranges in the countryside.
By including the different backgrounds, they turned their shared memories into a pair of complementary heirlooms that serve as a testament that no matter where their individual tastes lead, their loyalty remains rooted together.
“Bernice is the only person I trust to ink me — her talent speaks for itself. For our matching Hachiko tattoos, she took our differing tastes (Tokyo’s cityscape for Jeremy, Japan’s snow-capped mountains for me) and still kept the core essence of Hachiko’s loyalty running through both. Thank you for sharing your talent, Bernice.”
Your story is worth telling.
Whether honoring a shared devotion or the distinct paths you walk together, this is where your bonds converge.