A TATTOO artist has tackled her low body image by getting over 200 inkings.
Lina Lorenzen, 36, revealed that severe bullying led to her decision to cover 80% of her skin in tattoos.
Lina, who now lives in California, recalls growing up in Germany and being raised in a “rigorous and religious home in the countryside. ”
“I was a timid, introverted, and submissive kid; I lacked self-esteem, was always bullied, and would never fight back,” she said.
Lina described herself as the “tall, chubby kid wearing thrift store clothes.”
“I was picked last for team sports, excluded from social events. And spent a lot of time alone,” she explained.
“Standing out in any way makes you an easy target. I was called names, spat on, and made fun of daily,” she recalled.
The bullying got so bad Lina’s parents had to send her to a different school.
“I once found a drawing of a huge whale being harpooned to death and a written death threat in the mail; it was terrifying,” she noted.
Lina graduated college with a master’s in educational science and psychology before travelling the world.
“I started travelling and wanting to learn more about the world and leave my past life behind,” she explained.
Her travels led her to the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the US, where she eventually settled down.
“I flourish in forming meaningful relationships, so I thought, why not combine my love for people with my favourite hobby – tattooing?” Lina said.
“It was fascinating to me how human skin can be transformed into a living canvas as an expression of yourself,” she explained.
“Leaving my secure corporate career two years ago and fully committing to my love for tattooing was a risk, but I’m eternally proud of my decision to embrace a more fulfilling career,” she said.
While new clients continually contact Lina on her Instagram channel, her appearance can sometimes raise eyebrows.
Lina got her first tattoo at 22 and is almost entirely covered in artwork, which has cost her $204,000.
She has her OnlyFans account and is a popular model for international tattoo magazines.
“My tattoos are controversially perceived. Some admire, some envy, some dislike, some judge, and some feel inspired to get tattooed themselves,” Lina explained.
“I have thanked haters for spending their precious lifetime to write me a long, condescending message,” she continued.
“That’s how you deal with haters. You kill them with kindness,” she said.
Despite already being covered “from head to toe” with ink, Lina said she’s still not quite finished with her transformation.
“People call me a cyborg because of my heavily modified appearance,” she explained.
While she clarified that there are no “mechanical elements” built into her body, Lina has undergone plastic surgery and has had subdermal implants, which are raised designs under the skin.
“My tattoos are heavily influenced by biomechanical art, a surrealistic style that combines elements of machines with organics,” Lina said.
“That adds to the cyborgesque appearance,” she explained.
Looking to the future, Lina said she hopes to “keep evolving and growing as a person.”
“I want to keep contributing to our collective capacity to let go of and move past judgment, stigma, and prejudice and celebrate individuality with all its shades and colours,” she said.
“The closer one comes to being who they truly want to be, the happier they are with themself and the more accepting they will be of others,” she concluded.
