Completing the Circle

Completing the Circle

When I first tattooed the back of this piece earlier this year, the goal was simple but challenging: create a perfect circle using only the geometry of the body and the illusion of motion. The lines curved from shoulder to shoulder, but they only made sense when the client extended his arms to the sides. In that moment, the body became the canvas and the frame, the line resolved itself into a shape that didn’t exist at rest, only in motion.

Now, months later, we completed the front. Closing the loop.

A Circle That Only Exists When You Move

This isn’t just a tattoo you wear. It’s one you activate. The back lines arc outward, requiring the arms to stretch wide to reveal their full intention. The front line draws everything inward again, completing the illusion only when the posture aligns just right. Static lines made to live dynamically.

Form, Motion, and Time

What I love about this piece is how the body isn’t just a surface here. It’s a moving element. The healed back (first pic below) shows how subtle and integrated the design becomes over time, quiet, soft, but still deliberate. The freshly finished front stands out in contrast, sharp, direct, and bold.

And yet, they’re two halves of the same form. One seen. One hidden. One waiting for motion to complete it.

It’s a Circle, but It’s Not Always There

This piece challenges the idea of permanence in tattooing. It exists fully only in motion. In a specific gesture. And the rest of the time, it’s a mystery. A suggestion. A set of lines waiting to align.

That’s the beauty of it. That’s the fun.