Design Story

This forearm sleeve tattoo blends Polynesian and Tlingit elements together to represent the places where Chance felt most at home, Alaska and Oahu, and which share more in common than it would seem.
For this reason there are both mountains and waves on the two sides.

One side includes an orca, paired by a Tlingit/Haida filling pattern that is usually used to give texture to animals, representing pile, feathers, or scales depending on the animal, and the other side includes a Polynesian shark design.
The Polynesian motif called "many teeth" was added both on the shark and orca sides as they are the apex predators of their own regions, positioned to recall a yin yang shape since they seem so different and yet are so similar.

The warrior on top of the flax leaves (family union, for its importance) has people on both sides to represent family and friends met in both places.

The protector tikion top is designed to follow the style of each region, looking like a sun as a symbol of joy and eternity, and we added an all-seeing eye on the opposite side to guard Chance from evil from all directions.
The frigate bird aiming at the star symbolizes a higher perspective and reaching out for the desired goals.

The braid and the kupipi symbol represent unity and the importance of community, while the lōkahi symbol represents harmony between people, spirits, and nature, something felt and lived both in Alaska and in Hawaii.

The stepping stones at the base represent all the things learnt and achieved.

The individual elements are highlighted in different colors in the legend below: