Pokes on You is one of Niverville’s newest businesses, and owner Brianna Marchand is ready to share her passion for body art with the community she loves so much.
Marchand’s family moved to Niverville when she was ten, and back then she wasn’t thrilled about it. But now, at 23, she doesn’t want to live anywhere else. So she’s settled down with her dogs, Emma and Willow, and her cat Stevie.
Marchand has always been a creative person and has been producing art in one form or another since she was a child. Her dream was to earn her living as an artist, but she believed it was an unrealistic goal.
During the pandemic, though, Marchand ordered herself a tattoo machine thinking she could tattoo herself and her friends for fun.
But then, she says, she accidentally fell in love with it.
“For over a year, all things tattoo consumed my mind and my time,” Marchand says.
She pursued all the learning she could about the tattoo industry, received her certificate in body modification, and completed a seminar in bloodborne pathogens, infection prevention, and control.
“Slowly,” she says, “I gained confidence in myself and my skill and developed a deep passion for tattooing.”
Marchand says she grew up believing that only a certain type of person had tattoos.
“I associated tattoos with only the most hardcore people, hypersexualized pinup girls, and dark and intimidating art.”
That belief may have been true in the past, but Marchand wants to make sure she is helping to break those old stereotypes.
“For both tattoo artists and people who get tattooed I think there’s been a stereotype, this mould to fit into,” she says. “So essentially my goal for this studio is to bend that mould a little bit, to create a space where tattooing becomes more than just ink to skin. I want Pokes on You to be a place where every client feels safe to speak their mind and take their time. I believe that every client should feel valued whether they are getting their tattoo as a form of self expression, remembrance, healing, confidence, or just simply because they want to have art on their body.”
Marchand’s goal for her shop, located at 18 Third Avenue South in Niverville, is all about inclusivity.
“My hope is that people of all shapes, colours, sizes, and sexual orientations feel safe to be exactly who they are in my space. I am so deeply honoured by everyone who has supported me so far and I hope I can contribute to a memorable, meaningful, and positive experience for everyone who comes in the future.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Marchand and her art can be seen on Instagram: @pokesonyou_.
