SKIN DEEP MAGAZINE • 65Adult commitments and the monotony of daily life continually attempt to
silence our inner child. We all have one; just some are more hidden than
others. Life has a way of pulling firmly on the breaks of simply letting go.
As we age we gradually become laden with mounting responsibilities and
coping with the real struggle that is to keep sane in an insane world...
@luikwiatkowskaW
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:^ StevenG
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his world is a place where even
our culture has turned against
us, it deeply transfixed with the
purveyors of consumerism. It is
a weird, grotesquely lavish environment,
where ‘must-have’ products are forcibly
shoved into our retinas, allowing us to only
break our stare to focus on the ‘entertain-
ment’ that is reality television, and the
trash it spews out.
As our mind wanders as we impatiently
wait next in line at the shopping counter,
our inner child attempts to break free,
creating fantastic scenarios and dream-
like landscapes that we hope to loose our-
selves in. Yet, our entry into wonderland is
abruptly cut short by our collective lust for
the sleek designs of capitalism; a compul-
sion for the never-ending next iteration of
what we already have. It is therefore essen-
tial that creatives such as the tattooist Lui Kwiatkowska
be given the space and recognition for their attempt to
reconnect us with that lost child that is in us all.
Kwiatkowska’s tattooed creatures are pure joy, given
life with her delicate hand, and set free to create excite-
ment and happiness wherever they are seen. She has the
remarkable ability to design amazing species that look as
though they have jumped straight from the pages of chil-
dren’s literature. The creativity of the extraordinary will
break our tedium; we just need to believe.Your creativity is inspiring, what led you to start
designing such unique creatures?
When I was young I was a maniac for animated films.
Looking back I laugh now that my mother used to sit me
in front of the TV for her to be able to sleep in a little long-
er. In my childhood, I loved fantasising about imaginary
friends and planets ( being like the boy from The Never
Ending Story and having my own Falkor). In the 80s my
childhood was without smartphones and tablets, which
allowed me to wander wherever I wanted, climb trees andcreature
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