Alfonso Fragoza

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My entire anterior plane is dedicated to Avatar the Last Airbender’s Water tribe. My abdomen is a lion turtle which is the oldest and wisest beings in the ATLAverse. Above it is Katara as maiden, mother, crone chest piece. The water tribe were the first characters that looked like me growing up and were badass. I could be one. The waterbenders were warriors and healers.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

Each piece tells a story of what they mean through their symbology. Each illustrates my story. A type of storytelling I enjoy in manga. I encourage artists to design my ideas in their style. Many of them have a unique story of the day I received them. Some on a bar table, some to remind me of a friend who moved away. Not one tattoo would be silent or bored of their own tale.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I am currently in school for my master’s in nursing to be a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. This money would help me heavily in rent, tuition and the extra money I’m having to take out just to pay for my required clinical hours. I am attempting to work full time, be in school full time AND get more tattoos. This money would allow me to at least pay for my rent and clinicals for the next year so I could cut back from work hours to devote my time to my clinical hours.