About RHAEOLOGY Ink & Art
Hey! I’m Mariyah “Rhae” Lewis, a Los Angeles-based tattoo artist with six years of experience turning ideas into art on skin. I specialize in anime, realism, and Black cultural art, but I’m well-versed in a variety of styles.
I was born and raised in Fresno, California, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue tattooing alongside my career in education. After completing my tattoo apprenticeship, I began working independently from a studio before eventually transitioning into a traditional shop environment, where I’ve spent the last three years continuing to develop my craft and work alongside other talented artists.
Tattooing and teaching may seem like two completely different worlds, but both have given me opportunities to create, build community, and continuously learn. Working with children has also given me an abundance of patience,which definitely comes in handy when your other classroom involves needles and a permanent canvas.
My connection to Black cultural art runs deep. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in Black Studies, and that background has heavily influenced my appreciation for imagery rooted in Black history, identity, culture, and storytelling. Being able to combine my education with my artistry and create pieces that represent people, history, and culture that I connect with has become one of my favorite parts of what I do.
And then there’s anime. My life has pretty much been enveloped by it. Growing up, watching anime and cartoons with my brothers was one of our pastimes, and those same shows became a source of comfort that followed me well into adulthood. Now, as an adult, so much of what I enjoy centers around anime, the shows I watch, the art I love, conventions, collecting, and honestly a good portion of my lifestyle. I’m an anime nerd before I’m an anime tattoo artist, so being able to bring characters, scenes, expressions, and moments that both my clients and I genuinely love onto skin is full circle for me. I especially love taking something originally made for a manga page or screen and figuring out how to reinterpret it for the body while still keeping what made that character or moment special in the first place.
Throughout my career, I’ve also intentionally expanded my education and experience working with melanated skin tones. Traditional tattoo education and techniques have often used lighter complexions as their foundation, so learning how those same principles translate across deeper skin tones has been an intentional part of developing my craft. That training has strengthened my understanding of contrast, value, color, and composition across all complexions. It’s an important part of my skill set and allows me to approach every client’s skin intentionally, without defining the limits of the art I can create or who I can create it for.
Tattooing is a passion of mine that I hope to fully commit myself to once I complete my journey in education. I truly believe there is no limit to my artistry, especially as I continue learning, challenging myself, and surrounding myself with amazing and inspiring artists. Six years in and I still feel like there is so much more for me to create, explore, and learn.
Thank you for checking out my work and for being a part of my journey, no matter when you found me. I have a deep gratitude for every person who chooses to include me in their life plans. Tattoos often represent the things and people we love, the things we’ve survived, the stories we carry, or simply the things that make us happy. Being trusted to make something permanent out of those moments will always be the most impactful and meaningful thing I could do with my art!