“Chrysanthemums have been one of my favorite flowers ever since I was young, partially because I grew up with chrysanthemum tea. I have fond memories of eating dim sum with my extended family, accompanied by pots of chrysanthemum tea. The style of the tattoo was also influenced by Chinese ink paintings, which is another way I honor my culture through this tattoo. To me, the chrysanthemum is representative of myself, and the strings around it are my family. This idea was inspired by a section in one of my pieces, ‘Riverside Story’: ‘We are stitched of the same red-and-gold cloth, wrapped in the same red string of fate. When I bleed, I bleed your crimson threads.'”