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A woman who has a 'massive' back tattoo has said people are always shocked when she turns around to show them.
The inking covers Alexandra Cornish's entire back and bum and the back of her thighs – but is completely invisible from the front.
The 24-year-old, who is a tattoo artist herself, took inspiration from Japanese 'bodysuit' tattoos.
READ MORE: Dad who covered body with tattoos unrecognisable in snaps before extreme inkings
She got the £3,000 ink done over nine sessions in a year, which took more than 50 hours to complete in total.
The tattoo centres around Princess Wakana and also features flowers, skulls and spiders on a spider web background.
Alexandra, from Hillarys, Perth, Australia, loves seeing people's reactions when they see her from the front, with no visible ink – then she turns around.
The beauty, who is currently living with her partner in Singapore, said: "I never looked at myself originally with a big back piece.
"But traditionally with Japanese back pieces, they're supposed to tell the story of the rest of your body and all images link to the back and I liked that.
"When people say the back is quite painful, I didn’t find it too bad. My waist and tailbone hurt though.
" Tattoos like this are designed to be hidden under clothes – and it's good I can have it hidden.
"I love having it on display though. I love the contrast of not looking tattooed from the front, but having a heavy back piece."
She added: "I do notice people staring when I'm out – but I take no offence.
"I put 50 hours into it – I don't care who looks!"
Alexandra had two inkings, but nothing on her back, when she first reached out to tattoo artist Dan Molloy, based in Perth, Western Australia in January 2021.
She already knew him from a previous tattoo he did for her and she feels he is "one of the best artists" in Australia.
Initially unsure what she wanted, they came up with an idea around Princess Wakana, the beautiful daughter of Lord Otomo no Sorin, a Japanese feudal lord of the 1500s.
She studied magic and had a special connection with spiders which taught her magic spells, according to Japanese art from the 1800s.
Alexandra said: "I told Dan I wanted a woman that wasn’t too feminine, but nothing too intense, and he suggested Wakana.
"Originally I didn't like spiders and I wasn't inclined, but I have always liked magic and fantasy, so I went with it."
She explained these back pieces normally only cover the back when done on men because they have broader shoulders.
But due to her feminine proportions, it made more sense for the design to stretch lower, and cover her entire bum and the tops of her thighs.
Alexandra's first session took place in September 2021.
She had to fly to and from Dan's studio Kurikara Fudo Tattoo in Perth from where she was living in Surry Hills, Sydney at the time.
The entire tattoo took nine sessions – with some as long as eight hours in one go – and the entire piece took 50 hours to complete.
She said: "When people say the back is quite painful, I didn’t find it too bad.
"Certain parts were better than others. The shoulders, I found so easy.
"But I didn’t like my waist or ribs. The worst part was the very bottom, my tailbone.
"People say the butt is sore but I found that and my thighs ok – I was expecting it to be worse.
"The hardest thing was the bruising when travelling for the days after."
By August 2022 her back was completed – delayed by travel restrictions in Sydney due to local Covid outbreaks.
Since then, she has proudly showed off her unique ink and loves it.
While her parents weren't originally big tattoo fans, now they see it as "art" – although not everyone agrees.
Alexandra said: "A comment that irks me is 'I like it but I wouldn’t get it' – I just don’t really care.
"It's not on their body!
"The way mine is, and where it is a whole design, it looks like art.
"Someone else commented that I'm beautiful but the tattoos ruined me.
"Someone once asked if I'm worried that men won't be attracted to me – but then why would I be attracted to them? I'm a tattoo artist!
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"Ten out of ten times someone approaches me, it's about my tattoo – I get it in clubs, the gym, the shop, cafes, everywhere."
She said she loves surprising people – who don't expect her to have ink on her back after seeing her from the front.
She said: "Personality wise I am friendly and bubbly, I don’t have a face where I look like I'll be heavily tattooed.
"It’s a good contrast.
"I still like the look of being heavily tattooed, I love that look, as a tattooer myself.
"But for me personally I am not at a point yet where I want that next step.
"For now, I'm very content with the 'shock factor'".
- Tattoos
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