By Myrna Camacho, Founder Ink the Skin Tattoo Fest

Traditionally, a ritual is a symbolic action to achieve a goal, especially in religious and spiritual practices, where the concept originates. But for those of us who are not immersed in magic or the occult, a ritual can be any bond, relationship, or even personal routine, that for us has a special meaning and intention, which makes it a powerful action. 

So we can say that the act of getting a tattoo is a ritual, one that is increasingly accepted and normalized, although the stigma still lingers among the most conservative people. It is ironic that, despite being an ancient practice with a lot of meaning, it continues to cause discomfort among the inquisitive eyes of certain sectors of the population. 

Fortunately, tattoos have become a pillar of popular culture, so they have their moments of resurgence; first in the 1920s with the American Marines and then every few decades, with the most recent between 2012 and 2016, at least in Mexico. Now, the hype about tattoos is less, but because the practice has stopped being a fashionable topic and has become a personal ritual, something that is thought about and considered because in the end, it is something that we will take with us to the grave. 

The tattoo industry would not be what it is without the artists who have shaped and spread it. Tattooing is an art, a craft that not everyone is able to master and perfect. It is a way for personal expression and even emotional catharsis. At Local SMA Guide we find Ritual Study by the visual artist Mariana Alarcón, a sanctuary of needle and ink in which symbols are transformed into beautiful impressions on the skin. 

Mariana came to San Miguel years ago with the purpose of training as a visual artist. Her specialty is painting, and it shows in each tattoo she does, because for her it represents a ritual between the person and her as an artist. Approximately 3 years ago, she began to enter the world of tattooing, which she learned in Mexico City, helping her to complement her art and be able to open her studio here, which is also super well located on Recreo 10, right in the heart of SMA.

We spoke with Mariana to discover her philosophy as an artist and tattoo artist, to find out why she chose San Miguel de Allende as her creative niche and how she sees the social panorama for the practice of tattooing. Follow her on Instagram to learn more about her work and her fine line tattoo style, which is still very current. Do you already know what to get tattooed? If not, come to Mariana and she will surely help you find a super cool and meaningful design so you can debut one done at Estudio Ritual.