Daniel the Gardener’s Recent Botanical Tattoo Performance
Summary
The project merges Daniel, Tattoodo and Chelsea Physic Garden’s dedication to plants through contemporary artistic expression...
What do human bodies and nature have in common?
The answer is: a startling amount. Each is constantly evolving, healing, growing and breathing. The connection we, as people, have to the natural world goes back millions of years. It’s innate—built into us to feel good when surrounded by plants, trees and greenery. But in our busy, urban, technological lives, it’s easy to forget how much we benefit from exposure to nature, not only by how it heals the body, but also by how it heals the mind.
No one knows this better than botanical tattoo artist, Daniel the Gardener, who has dedicated his career to regrounding humans back into nature through tattooing. “I like to believe my work helps people weave themselves back into nature. It translates a person’s story through their relationship with plants.” Daniel is renowned in the industry for crafting unique pieces, steeped in natural imagery, that honour and merge with each sitter’s unique body shape.
To further explore the connection between plants and tattooing, Daniel teamed up with Tattoodo, and Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanical garden, for the inaugural edition of Embodied Surfaces—a one-of-a-kind tattoo performance.
A shared vision, rooted in nature
Across its 350-year-long legacy, Chelsea Physic Garden’s mission has been to help people understand the essential role plants play in our everyday lives. Originally established by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries as an outdoor classroom for training apprentices, it remains the only collection focused entirely on medicinal, herbal and useful plants.
The project merges Daniel, Tattoodo and Chelsea Physic Garden’s dedication to plants through contemporary artistic expression.Out of 230 applicants who responded to an open call to be to be tattooed by Daniel amongst the garden’s breathtaking plant collection, Liv was selected for her compelling story about the positive impact plants have had on her mental health and wellbeing.
“Being in nature has always been a source of comfort for me,” she said. “Having faced personal
challenges, the connection I feel to plants - particularly those known for their healing properties - is very meaningful. Having these plants tattooed on my body feels like a way to carry that comfort with me, always.”
Bringing people together through botanicals
In the run-up to the event, Daniel spent months researching and sketching the plants on display in the garden. “I wanted to learn about the species growing here and understand - not only the historical heritage - but the vital role the garden plays as a space for biodiversity and human connection to nature within London’s shifting landscape.”
On the day, Liv was joined by a select few of Daniel’s previous clients, all invited to showcase their unique but distinctive tattoos—each a homage to the botanical world.
Sue Medway, Director of Chelsea Physic Garden, said “Through this collaboration, we explored the timeless relationship between humans and plants, demonstrating that botanical art can thrive beyond traditional mediums and become a living expression in those who carry it with them.”
