01/25/2026
Religion and tattoos go way back. Sacred texts like the Bible mention them, albeit not always positively. Yantra tattoos have been popular with Buddhists in Southeast Asia for centuries. Mehndi, or temporary henna tattoos, are associated with a variety of religious traditions in the Indian context. Tattoos have also been an integral part of many Coptic Christians’ experience of religion for centuries. And, if you ask any American tattoo artist about the most frequent symbols they tattoo, you won’t have to wait long to hear the word “cross.”
Sacred Ink, a collection of photographic art and stories exploring the intersection of spiritual life and tattoos, leans into this long-standing relationship and looks for the sacred in the ink we put on our bodies. The project, which is housed at the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan, engages campus and community audiences in deep conversation about the meaning of tattoos and their relationship to personal experiences of the sacred. The traveling gallery tries to make sense of the sacred stories so many people wear “on their sleeves.”
The project was stewarded by Rev. Tim Kobler. Tim, ironically, doesn’t have any tattoos himself (at least, he doesn’t have any yet) and spends most of his time as the chaplain of Wesley Foundation.
Read the full blog on our website.
https://www.interfaithphotovoice.org/blogs/seeing-the-sacred-in-the-stories-we-wear
