Meet Vee

The Teacher

I was born into a Buddhist family, but my relationship with the Dharma really began when I attended a small Buddhist school for teenagers in the woods of Pennsylvania. We meditated three times a day, practiced mindful living, and learned to care for ourselves and our community. I didn't fully understand it at the time, but that experience changed the course of my life.

Years later, I stepped away from tattooing to pursue formal training as a meditation teacher. I completed my first teacher training with David Nichtern through Dharma Moon, and later trained with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education to teach Vipassana meditation to young people. My teaching experience has taken me from classrooms in Haiti to juvenile detention centers in Connecticut, where I've developed mindfulness programs for young people navigating difficult circumstances. I've also studied with teachers including Ruth King, Tara Mulay, Pascal Auclair, Anushka Fernandopulle, and Devin Berry, and continue my studies in Buddhism and adolescent education at Harvard.

My approach to teaching is rooted in compassion, liberation, and the belief that these practices belong to everyone. I'm not interested in being an unreachable pillar of wisdom. I'm a human being practicing alongside other human beings, learning how to meet ourselves and the world with a little more honesty, courage, and care.

The Artist

I actually never intended to become a tattoo artist. I was a young artist and spiritual seeker looking for a way to travel, learn, and explore the world when a friend introduced me to handpoked tattooing. I resisted at first, but something about it just felt right.

What started as a way to support my travels became a career that brought me into incredible communities, spiritual traditions, and eventually back to my own Southeast Asian ancestry. Along the way, I fell in love with the intimacy of tattooing and the trust people place in me.

Thirteen years later, I still love what I do. My work ranges from blackwork and ornamental designs to deeply personal ancestral tattoos, but what matters most to me is creating a space where people feel comfortable, respected, and free to be themselves.

The Human

Outside of tattooing and teaching, I'm a partner, step-parent, dog mom, kitchen witch, and compulsive creative. I love cooking for people, making art, practicing herbalism, and getting carried away with whatever new project has captured my attention.

I'm a Philly-raised, queer, neurodivergent Aries with a soft heart and a loud mouth. I talk with my hands, swear like a sailor, and usually have a sharp set of ornate acrylic nails. I love a good, long hug, a little practical magic, and finding ways to show up for my community.

I take my work seriously, but I try not to take myself too seriously. At the end of the day, I'm just another human figuring things out, making art, practicing compassion, and doing my best to take care of the people around me.

Hi, I’m Victoria, but you can also call me Vee (she/they)

I'm a tattoo artist, Buddhist teacher, and lifelong creative. I've been tattooing for over a decade and practicing Buddhism for more than fifteen years, and somehow, these two paths have become beautifully intertwined.

Tattooing is my livelihood and one of my greatest joys. It also gives me the freedom to share meditation and the Dharma without charging for my teachings, in keeping with my Buddhist tradition. I feel incredibly lucky to spend my days making art, working closely with people, and sharing practices that have shaped my own life.