An exhibition of tattooed works preserved after death.
Beyond The Flesh is a traveling museum exhibition and archival project dedicated to preserving significant tattooed works "beyond" death. These works are not reproduced, reinterpreted, or recreated. They are the actual tattoos preserved as they lived.
A painting requires a canvas.
A sculpture requires material.
These works required a human life.
Tattoos are not images applied to skin. They are images carried by a person, over time, through labor, aging, joy, illness, risk, and death.
A museum exhibition.
The Exhibition
Beyond The Flesh is presented as a traveling exhibition within the continental United States.
Through preserved tattooed works, historical artifacts, and contemporary context, tattooing is not explained, reinterpreted, or defended. It is reassembled and restored to its rightful place within art history.
Custodianship
Beyond The Flesh does not “own” people or their skin. Works are preserved through custodial agreements that prioritize dignity, consent, and long-term care.
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