About

David Allen is a tattoo artist based in Chicago, working primarily in black and gray botanical imagery.

His practice is shaped by attentiveness—to bodies that carry change, to the permanence of marks, and to the histories held in skin.

Much of his work centers on supporting people through transition, particularly in post-medical and post-mastectomy contexts, using plants and flowers as a visual language for adaptation, regrowth, and resilience.

In addition to tattooing, David speaks and teaches about embodied design, ethics, and care-based creative practice across medical, academic, and arts spaces.

Dive deeper and learn more about his approach to tattooing

Booking a Tattoo

There are three ways to get a tattoo with me:

  1. If you want a floral tattoo or a fine art piece recreated in black and grey, follow this link and submit a Tattoo Inquiry!

  2. Sign up for my email list. Receive exclusive newsletter and special availability. (Subscribe form is on the home page)

  3. Mastectomy or scar related tattooing: more info here.

Exhibits

Photos and stories have been included in the following exhibits:

2021 Beauty, Fondation d’entreprise Martell / Cognac, France
2020 Sagmeister & Walsh: Beauty, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg
2019 Beauty, MAK Austrian Museum for Applied Arts / Contemporary Art, Vienna

2018 David Allen: Mastectomy Tattoos and Post-Surgery Healing, International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago (local link to view exhibit)

2018 Items: Is Fashion Modern?, MoMA, NYC

Video (short)

Grace - A Breast Cancer Survivor's Fight to Love Her New Body 
My Tattoo, My Story - GHD Campaign

Publication

Moving the Needle on Recovery From Breast Cancer - The Healing Role of Postmastectomy Tattoos - JAMA