Winfred Raguini

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

I’m Filipino-American, but for years my heritage felt distant—like background noise. Last year, I lived in the Philippines for four months to reconnect. Being there with my parents, in the country I was born, flipped a switch. The tattoo on my right arm is from the Philippines, but its symbols are inspired by the Renaissance—marking my roots, my rebirth, and the pursuit of a sharper mind, body, and soul.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak, it’d tell you I’m built from many places. My right arm talks of my roots and Renaissance—the search for growth and meaning. My left arm speaks louder: Filipino flag, American eagle, hummingbird, bear paw, axolotl, chip, baobab. It’s a living map—of the lands, cultures, and codes that shaped me. My ink wouldn’t just talk—it’d tell stories in every language I’ve lived.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I’d finish what I started—complete both sleeves with ink that tells the rest of my story. Then I’d throw the rest at my debt, one payment closer to freedom. $25,000 wouldn’t change who I am, but it’d help me move cleaner, lighter, and with more art on my skin and less weight on my shoulders.