Roderick Mera

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My culture inspired me deeply to get my tattoos. I got the sides of my head tattooed with ancient Ecuadorian symbols from the providence of where my family is from. Tattooing in the Andes used to be a huge part of the culture, but through colonization, the art was lost, and I wear these symbols as a respect to my ancestors and to remind myself and them that I have not forgotten them, and I’m proud of them.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

It’s a biography of sorts. It will tell you about the happiest moments in my life and some of the hardest times in my life. It will tell you the story of transforming into the person I’ve always wanted to be. My tattoos tell me a story of evolution a story of growth. It would tell you of a person who is not perfect, but tries their very best every single day to grow and be a kinder better person.

What would you do with the $25,000?

To be honest, I would probably spend it on getting the rest of my body filled up and tattoos. My lifelong dream is to be fully covered in tattoos, and I’m almost there, so this will definitely contribute to hopefully filling out the rest of the open space that I have left on my body.