Once a healthcare professional, she now heals with ink, transforming scars into deeply personal stories etched in skin. Ksu Storm’s art takes her across continents, teaching others to heal through tattooing, a journey that began after her clients were sent to the frontline.

Creating under the pseudonym Ksu Storm, Kseniia Oliinyk is a Ukrainian tattoo artist whose journey began not in a studio, but in the halls of a medical academy. Her background in nursing has profoundly shaped the way she approaches tattooing — not just as an art form but as a tool for healing, a way to restore the body and to cover scars, both physical and emotional, with something meaningful.

At 29, Oliinyk has gained a depth of experience far beyond her years, shaped not only by personal challenges but also the intimate stories shared by her clients. She’s learned to look beyond the surface, turning imperfections into powerful symbols of survival and hope.

“I decided to pursue tattooing when I was 14, just as I was starting medical school,” the artist recalls. “I wanted to help people, the way doctors and nurses do, but at the same time it broke my heart to think I had to give up drawing.”

Everything changed when she first saw the American reality series Miami Ink and realized how a tattoo could transform someone’s relationship with their body. Finding inspiration in the “strong, talented and independent” tottoo artist Kat Von D, Oliinyk followed her path.

Being a woman in the tattoo industry hasn’t been easy. “I’ve had to prove myself over and over, often more than my male colleagues,” she admits.

Thanks to her talent, dedication and professionalism, she earned her place. Now clients trust her deeply, asking her to design tattoos that tell their personal journeys.

Oliinyk’s Journey to Becoming Ksu Storm

Her own tattoo journey started in Kiev (Kyiv), where she found her first mentor, but lost contact after a few lessons. Rather than giving up, she taught herself until she found another artist she admired. Despite facing skepticism from her studio team because of her age, the artist’s determination only grew stronger.

After graduating from both a medical academy and a technical university, she returned to her hometown of Odessa (Odesa) and opened her own studio — the only tattoo studio in the city’s Suvorov district at the time. Many thought the area was too remote, but she saw its potential where others didn’t. She also began teaching, sharing everything she had learned, hoping to give her students the kind of support she once wished she had.

Her dream was to grow her studio into a community space built on trust, care and collaboration. Then the Russia-Ukraine war broke out and many of her friends, family and clients were sent to fight.

The tattooist found herself moving across borders: from Canada and Finland to Moldova, Germany, France and the United States. Each move brought new challenges, new cultures and new ways of connecting with people through her art. With each country came the exposure to new ideas and skills, which helped to develop her particular style of artwork.

People Ascribe Different Meaning to Her Work

The artist emphasizes high-contrast blackwork, painterly shading and natural textures, which bring movement and life to scarred skin. Often freehand, her designs follow the body’s shape and make each scar part of the story.

Her style is highly illustrative, rich with symbolism, emotion and colour. She listens closely to her clients’ stories and translates their experiences into art. This kind of customized tattooing has become especially popular in the North America, where many seek not just a tattoo but a way to express identity and resilience.

Much of the artist’s work involves covering scars or reworking old tattoos, turning pain into something beautiful, like when she once worked with a young man to incorporate the texture of a burn scar into a watercolour-style design.

Another story was of a woman whose life had been changed by a life-altering health diagnosis. She decided to cover her scars with a tattoo that symbolized a new love and a new, though likely short, life.

Her work holds special meaning for Ukrainian soldiers as well. “For some, tattoos are personal symbols, something protective, but in heartbreaking cases a tattoo might be the only way a family can identify a loved one,” she says.

“A tattoo might be the only way a family can identify a loved one.”

Some soldiers return to her again and again, marking each chapter of their journey with new tattoos. Among the last, one sniper came back from the frontline asking for Celtic runes and Nordic symbols, icons of strength that helped him reconnect with his identity after the trauma of war.

In recent years, her role as an artist has expanded far beyond aesthetics; through her work, she’s remained close to those on the frontlines, not just symbolically but through real action. She also organizes charity tattoo events to support Ukrainian volunteers and donates her artwork to auctions raising funds for her country.

Oliinyk’s tattoos don’t just decorate the body – they tell stories, hold memories and help people heal. Her work shows how art, empathy and resilience can make a real difference, one tattoo at a time.

by Marco Barbera
San Francisco, United States