Post Mastectomy Transformation

Artist: Izzy Irizarry Collector: Emily

“Breast cancer doesn’t get to leave the last mark.” - Emily, artwork collector and breast cancer survivor

This project is near and dear to Izzy and his client, Emily. When Emily was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, she decided to undergo a double mastectomy. She came across inspiring women who had an Aesthetic Flat Closure (AFC) done after their mastectomies. Her wish was to feel as beautiful and whole as these women looked after their reconstruction surgeries, and her AFC was the first step toward that goal. To further address her aspiration, she began searching for an artist to design a large chest tattoo to cover her scars. She immediately felt drawn to Izzy’s work, and he was set on helping Emily bring her vision to life. Izzy approached this project with a high level of awareness and care. Causing further trauma to scarred, sensitive skin by tattooing over it requires a more technical approach to ensure a lasting result. This coupled with a mutual trust between himself and his client produced this stunning transformation.

“I look in the mirror now and I don’t see brokenness. I see beauty and life and strength.” - Emily