Location
Bristol UK
The work
I have always wanted to be an artist but with little, to no drawing skills, I've always found it hard to express my creativity. I always knew it was there, I just wasn't sure how to manifest it into something that everybody could enjoy. I got my first tattoo when I was 19 and very slowly I have become more and more covered as time has gone on.
I cannot express in words how much joy my tattoos give to me but to others, they find them offensive, painful to look at and sometimes people suprise me with how blunt they can be with their opinion on my choices to decorate my body.
I come up against prejudice from people on a daily basis, from whispers, to people grabbing my arms and pointing across the street. I also get a lot of positive comments on my body art and people enjoy looking at my tattoos. My happiest moment was when I inspired a ninety year old lady to get a rose tattoo as a birthday present to herself.
The work I produce with my jewellery company, Devine Delinquents, promotes a healthy look at alternative culture and embraces subcultures of all kinds with it's designs. Often when I've been conversing with people over email aranging a meeting, they don't expect a heavily tattooed woman to walk into their office to talk business. However, I am working on changing their minds that, everyone, no matter what you look like, can be anything that you want to be.
Tattooed people are the same as everyone else, we just have a prettier shell.
Artist's biography
Nikki Druce was born in Woking, Surrey in 1985. She grew up on Hayling Island, a small island next door to Portsmouth. Moving to Bristol in 2005, she created the independent jewellery label, Devine Delinquents in 2011.
Having grown up as being "slightly different" and always being the odd one out at school, her interest in alternative subculture has always been a big influence in her work. When planning the idea of an alternative jewellery label came to mind she jumped on the idea and has been making jewellery and accessories ever since.
Devine Delinquents is an online one woman company that prides itself in being a break from the norm and providing other like minded people with the artisan hand crafted ethic of unique jewellery and accessories.
Devine Delinquents has a very loyal fan base and has been featured in small publications and blogs around the world.
Links
http://www.devinedelinquents.bigcartel.com
Twitter @devinedelinqs
Photograph by Karen Roberts.
Make-up by Alice Bizarre.
Model: Nikki Druce
Jewellery and accessories by Devine Delinquents.
