Project Tsukurou: Tattoo Artists Changing Lives of People Who Self-Harm with Free Cover-Ups

Tattoos tell a story of the place, time, and mindset of the person deciding to get the tattoo. The decision is lifelong and visible to all. So are self-harm scars.

At Crown and Feather, Dylan Carr and his team built a program to help those recovering from a difficult place, a dark place, in their lives by covering scars with beautiful tattoos they can proudly share.

About the Founder

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Throwback shot in my natural habitat 📸 by @chelseamealo

A post shared by Philadelphia Tattoo Artist (@dylancarrtattooer) on May 22, 2020 at 2:40pm PDT

Dylan Carr grew up in Drexel Hill, right outside of Philadelphia. He has always been interested in arts, sketching, drawing, and building a portfolio throughout high school. However, it wasn’t until he went with his girlfriend to get her first tattoo that he became interested in the art of tattooing.

Dylan’s style has come in full circle from his drawings in high school to his tattooing style now. When he first started tattooing, he started off with a Neo American traditional style of bold lines and bright colors. But as fate would have it, a friend asked him to tattoo a tiny quarter-size dog portrait in black and gray. That tattoo spread quickly on social media. Dylan began receiving many requests for similar tattoos. Now, Dylan is booked months out in advance. Check out his portfolio and Instagram for more examples. 

Giving People Their Confidence Back

When Dylan and his co-founders, Nick ‘The Tailor’ Solomon and Andrew Robinson, started their tattoo business, Crown and Feather, they knew they also wanted to use their skills to give back to the community. They decided to help those who have made it out of a dark place in their lives and are ready to start over. Enter Project Tsukurou.

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A recent piece done @crownandfeathertattoo by @nickthetailor. Thank you to all our participants. We love doing butterfly tattoos! What do butterflies mean to you? 🦋 . . . . #butterflytattoo #projecttsukurou#nickthetailor #finelinetattoo #blackandgreytattoo

A post shared by Project Tsukurou (@projecttsukurou) on Jan 30, 2020 at 10:34am PST

Dylan and his team understand the personal, social, and professional stigma that comes with scars from self-harm. With Project Tsukurou, those scars can be covered up by beautiful tattoos allowing people to reclaim their bodies and move forward in life.

The name Tsukurou came from “kintsukuroi” which is a Japanese process of repairing broken items with gold. Kintsukuroi is a beautiful but long process that takes patience and time. That art is a reflection of the process each client has gone through in their journey to recover from self-harm. It may have been a long process but they are at the stage where they are ready to showcase the beautiful new product.

It is our mission to replace these scars with beautiful works of art, cultivating confidence and acceptance.

If you or someone you know has self-harm scars and is ready to move on from them, you can fill out an application on their website. 

How has Covid-19 impacted the tattoo industry?

To comply with the city’s lockdown measures, Dylan and his team had to close down the shop. There is no set date as to when they will be able to reopen due to the lockdown lift constantly changing but when the city opens up again, there will be new measures in place to ensure the safety of artists and clients.

• Everyone will have to wear masks
• Additional seating will be added
• Clients will no longer be allowed to bring friends

Appointments are currently on hold. Right now, June 26th is the planned date to reopen. Follow their Facebook page for any changes and the latest updates.

In the meantime, Dylan is learning how to play guitar to stay occupied. Maybe you can get him to play you something when he’s back!