MODEL
EMMA HOLLAND
Photos by Rivkah Photography, Rebecca Carroll
Hair: Colin Scagliata of Arq Salons, Westhore
I got my first tattoo (Hokusai’s “The Great
Wave” on the inner left forearm) as soon as I
was 18, much to the disappointment of my
Japanese mother. Coming from a culture where
tattoos are still considered taboo and have a
strong connection to the Yakuza, the reaction
was understandable.
From that point on, I started building a sleeve
from that first piece. My left arm was done
over the course of several years by Chris David
at Government Street Tattoos. With cherry
blossoms all along my lower arm and a girl in a
kimono on my upper, this piece represents the
pride I have in the Japanese half of me.
Without meaning to, I seem to have a theme
of family-related tattoos. On my right inner
forearm, I have a pair of binoculars that
belonged to my paternal grandfather, who was
a sea captain and at a time the harbour master
of Vancouver. Our family motto, “Never less
alone than when alone”, frames the binoculars
in a banner. I got this done in Berlin as my one
souvenir from a long backpacking trip.
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Government Street Tattoos is the shop where
almost all of my work has been done.
The bicycle on the back of my right arm is for
my maternal grandfather (Ojiichan), who till
his very last days went on long bike rides along
the river by his house. I got this one from Bryan
Turnbull.
The 2 red hearts with “mama” and “papa” in
Japanese on the back of my neck were done
by Chris David, and the parade of elephants
along my collar bone were done by D-Boy. The
elephants were modelled off a little ceramic
elephant that my Ojiichan had given me, and
there are 5 of them to represent the 5 people in
my immediate family.
The script on my back is a lyric from the Beatles
“Across the Universe”. Coming from a very
artistic family, my earliest memories are filled
with sing-a-longs and music. My father is an
amazing guitar player, and the Beatles were a
staple soundtrack that he played for us and
taught us as children.