About The Artist

My name is Elian-James Showell (I generally go by eL-J or Eight). I am a tattoo artist, author, tarot reader, and graphic designer, currently splitting my time between many cities! I love getting to travel and connect with all different types of people as a part of my job!

Most of my personal art and design work revolves around my own spirituality, life transitions, gender reflection, and growth. My work usually blends masculine and feminine energies. I love the contrast of big bright color and dark moody blacks. I enjoy exploring texture, clarity, and drama in my work.

When I work with clients, we work to acknowledge, and mark, the big emotional transitions of their life -- the passing of time, life accomplishments, life disappointments, lessons learned, big grief, and big joy. I love connecting with my clients every day through the process of tarot and tattooing. My greatest happiness in life is helping clients change their bodies to reflect the changes within their hearts and minds. I love seeing people shape shift into a new version of themselves with the help of tattoos!

I work to create an environment where clients can show up however they are, and feel comfortable to be themselves - whoever that is. I'm a very open and accepting person and will happily tattoo pretty much anyone.
I welcome people who are different (whatever that may mean to you). I welcome people who struggle to fit in. I welcome people in the process of finding themselves. I welcome people who are working on doing better for themselves. I love people, I love life, and I love to laugh. I definitely take my work extremely seriously, but I try to create an environment where we can laugh and have fun while we make art together.

BACKGROUND

Eight holds a degree in architecture from Philadelphia University, and worked as an architect, designer, and installation artist in Philadelphia and New York City for 10 years before beginning their career as a visual artist. They shifted away from their career in architecture in 2014 when they began tattooing. 

Eight became a published author and artist in 2017 after having their tarot deck and companion book ‘Eight Coins’ Tattoo Tarot’ published through US Games Systems Inc. Their second major project ‘Eight Coins’Astrology was published in 2024. Eight is currently working on a third deck of cards called Eight’ Coins’ Artist’s Oracle, which is an oracle & divination deck based around finding and growing your creativity.