While they may not be for everyone, tattoos are works of art and can be as unique to an individual as their fingerprint.
They represent passion, pain, ways of thinking, bonds between individuals, life milestones, and pretty much everything in between – all in a consent reminder that’s inked on your skin forever.
And now your tattoos can live on even after you die.
As in, there’s a new association that will preserve them, skin and all, so that your loved ones can frame them after you’re gone. The National Association for the Preservation of Skin Art (NAPSA) invites potential members in a promotional video to “Bequeath your tattoo just like a house, wedding ring, or any other cherished possession, so that your loved ones can experience your legacy.”
Those who wish to preserve their tattoos may join for an initial fee of $115 US and yearly dues of $60 US. Members then name a beneficiary who will receive a designated tattoo upon their death. The cost increases with each additional tattoo. Upon the person’s passing, their beneficiary must notify NAPSA within 18 hours. NAPSA then sends a kit to the funeral home so that it can remove the tattoo and ship it back to them. The organization then treats the tattoo, packages it in an encasing, and sends it to the beneficiary, along with a certificate.
Naturally, the concept isn’t appealing to everyone, regardless of their opinion on skin art. As meaningful as the tattoos are, the whole thing is admittedly a little creepy. Even if someone I love got a tattoo inspired by me, and subsequently left it to me when they died, I’m not sure whether I would look at the final product as a work of art, or the skin of a dead person (just being honest).
At any rate, I suppose I can’t knock it until I see it, and the photos on the website are quite interesting and easy-on-the-eyes (as opposed to the weathered slice of skin I initially imagined).
If you’d like to preserve your own tattoo, you can – members are welcome across North America.
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