ABOUT
a z i z e n g o
they/them
specializing in blackwork, fine line, geometric, contemporary, & abstract designs
private studio - tongva land a.k.a “los angeles”
@trans.quility
some context:
trans (prefix) - "across, beyond, through, or such as to change”
tranquil - “free from turmoil”
transquility - a state of harmony through persistent change in form
i came up with this word to use as a creative tuning fork. it describes a kind of peace that accompanies creative expression while being mindful of its impermanence. it describes the flow imbued within a live jam session with friends. the hypnotic focus of having sex, doing drugs, dancing, or getting tattooed. they’re the moments in which exploration and evolution are happening.
specifically, i’m referring to the inevitability of change, everywhere. at times change is painful, but so is our existence. informed by Buddhist traditions, i created transquility to help me release attachments to designs i’ve created, bodies i’ve adorned, and projects i’m currently working on in order to make room for other ideas and methods to float to the surface. magic happens when we express ourselves sonically, in movement, or by adorning our flesh suits before they eventually rot and fertilize soil.
after many years of existential cynicism sprinkled with anxious exhaustion, this framework has given me a lens through which i occasionally find solace in the fluid absurdity of life.
more context for the curious:
i was brought into this world by a Turkish, Muslim mother, and a Catholic, Vietnamese father. if “opposites attract” and “survival tactics” came together with a volatile shelf life, it would be my parents. i was trained to be of service - elders and everyone else before myself.
don’t get me wrong, i love being of service - specifically, in expanding someones capacity to sit with pain and pleasure. the world we live in is ruthless, we can only thrive if we develop our ability to deeply feel and expand our tolerance for discomfort. the mind-body-spirit connection is fascinating to me. i left the Midwest to study cognitive science at University of California, San Diego.
convinced my calling was in medicine, i spent several years post-grad researching how adolescent trauma informs adult psychoneuroimmunology. in so many words, what happens is - our bodies transform from marks left on us by the shit we endure. there came a point where i realized there was only so much i could do to change a system designed to negate healing. tattooing causes injury, i approach this practice with the intention of minimizing trauma. it’s a beautiful thing to witness transformation from marks made consensually and collaboratively. with encouragement and a gift from my partner, i pivoted and took up needlework creatively. etching designs onto skin has been the perfect medium to blend my art practice with my understanding of anatomy and pursuit of life-force-giving. i’m much happier for it.
for millennium humans have used tattoos to heal, weave narratives together, build community, cast spells, and bring our bodies closer to our visions of them. perhaps this is why i’m drawn to textile motifs, geometry, and the negative space within blackwork tattoos. by withstanding our environment, experiencing ritualistic changes to our bodies, we might grow to love and imbue outselves in it. this affirms my belief that our bodies resemble clay, in that they hold a memory of how they’ve been handled, and they transform under special circumstances. this sacred practice, i hope, will leave you becalmed, in stasis, forever changed.
︎
ABOUT
a z i z e n g o
they/them
blackwork, fine line, geometric, contemporary, & abstract designs
private studio - tongva land a.k.a “los angeles”
@trans.quility
some context:
trans (prefix) - "across, beyond, through, or such as to change”
tranquil - “free from turmoil”
transquility - a state of harmony through persistent change in form
i came up with this word to use as a creative tuning fork. it describes a kind of peace that accompanies creative expression while being mindful of its impermanence. it describes the flow imbued within a live jam session with friends. the hypnotic focus of having sex, doing drugs, dancing, or getting tattooed. they’re the moments in which exploration and evolution are happening.
specifically, i’m referring to the inevitability of change, everywhere. at times change is painful, but so is our existence. informed by Buddhist traditions, i created transquility to help me release attachments to designs i’ve created, bodies i’ve adorned, and projects i’m currently working on in order to make room for other ideas and methods to float to the surface. magic happens when we express ourselves sonically, in movement, or by adorning our flesh suits before they eventually rot and fertilize soil.
after many years of existential cynicism sprinkled with anxious exhaustion, this framework has given me a lens through which i occasionally find solace in the fluid absurdity of life.
more context for the curious:
i was brought into this world by a Turkish, Muslim mother, and a Catholic, Vietnamese father. if “opposites attract” and “survival tactics” came together with a volatile shelf life, it would be my parents. i was trained to be of service - elders and everyone else before myself.
don’t get me wrong, i love being of service - specifically, in expanding someones capacity to sit with pain and pleasure. the world we live in is ruthless, we can only thrive if we develop our ability to deeply feel and expand our tolerance for discomfort. the mind-body-spirit connection is fascinating to me. i left the Midwest to study cognitive science at University of California, San Diego.
convinced my calling was in medicine, i spent several years post-grad researching how adolescent trauma informs adult psychoneuroimmunology. in so many words, what happens is - our bodies transform from marks left on us by the shit we endure.there came a point where i realized there was only so much i could do to change a system designed to negate healing. tattooing causes injury, i approach this practice with the intention of minimizing trauma. it’s a beautiful thing to witness transformation from marks made consensually and collaboratively. with encouragement and a gift from my partner, i pivoted and took up needlework creatively. etching designs onto skin has been the perfect medium to blend my art practice with my understanding of anatomy and pursuit of life-force-giving. i’m much happier for it.
for millennium humans have used tattoos to heal, weave narratives together, build community, cast spells, and bring our bodies closer to our visions of them. perhaps this is why i’m drawn to textile motifs, geometry, and the negative space within blackwork tattoos. by withstanding our environment, experiencing ritualistic changes to our bodies, we might grow to love and imbue outselves in it. this affirms my belief that our bodies resemble clay, in that they hold a memory of how they’ve been handled, and they transform under special circumstances.this sacred practice, i hope, will leave you becalmed, in stasis, forever changed.
︎