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BME™

Body Modification Ezine – Est. 1994

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Features

In-depth articles and interviews.

  • Meet the Makers: Tawapa

    by

    Tori

    Phoebe Minona’s Tawapa is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, but the company is still having new firsts. From its start as an early vendor of bone and horn jewelry to now pushing technical boundaries with its first-ever titanium line, Tawapa has always tried to stay one step ahead. Leveraging a decades long passion for jewelry, a background in cultural anthropology, and boundless creativity, Phoebe hints that she’s far from finished taking Tawapa — and body jewelry — to new places.

    I talked to Phoebe about Tawapa’s new titanium line, her design process, and her journey into the body jewelry industry.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

    Continue reading

  • Meet the Makers: Modern Mood Body Jewelry

    by

    Tori

    When Modern Mood Body Jewelry founders Monica Bern and Michelle Ma started working together at a fine jewelry store, they never expected to wind up running their own body jewelry business. But after a very successful visit to the Tucson Gem Show and inspiration from the ear constellation trend, they started down the path to creating today’s Modern Mood: a playful, minimalist jewelry brand built for mixing and matching. 

    I talked to Michelle and Monica about starting Modern Mood, the transition to body jewelry, and their creative process. 

    Monica Bern and Michelle Ma, founders of Modern Mood Body Jewelry. Photo by John Balk.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

    Continue reading

  • Meet the Makers: Brien 9 Fingers

    by

    Tori

    Can’t find the jewelry you need? Why not make it? That’s how Brien (Brien 9 Fingers) got started making glass jewelry 12 years ago. Now, he’s a full-time glassworker who makes custom pieces, single-flare plugs, and pendants, including piercing-inspired pieces like pendants with needles or acrylic body jewelry. Glass plugs are a staple in jewelry cases or for anyone with larger gauge piercings, so I talked to Brien about how he got started making them, how it grew into a business, and what he likes about glassworking.

    Single flares by Brien.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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  • Crying in the Cube

    by

    Tori
    Photo by Jonathon W. Marshall.

    Before my suspension at the Ontario Suspension Convention, I asked my facilitators not to let anyone photograph me if I was crying. I had never cried during a suspension before, so I said it with an off-handed “it probably won’t happen, but just in case,” and felt somewhat silly for even saying it.

    A little over an hour later, I was lying on a massage table and sobbing hysterically into a piece of gauze. My legs were barely elevated, but the hooks felt excruciating. As one so often does during the roughest moment of a suspension, I began questioning the series of decisions that led me there.

    Continue reading

  • “A Body to Live In” Director Angelo Madsen on Documenting Fakir Musafar’s Legacy

    by

    Tori
    The poster for “A Body to Live In.” Courtesy of Angelo Madsen.

    Fakir Musafar is so integral to recent body modification history that he’s hard to escape. From performing at the first-ever international tattoo convention, to his involvement with Jim Ward and The Gauntlet, to his filmed suspension in Dances Sacred and Profane, Fakir’s seeming omnipresence in the latter half of the 20th century has made him mythical. But as A Body to Live In by director Angelo Madsen emphasizes, Fakir was not the legend to which he’s often reduced, rather a multifaceted, complex person who shepherded a movement he believed in.

    I talked to Madsen about his use of archival materials, the enigma of Fakir’s seeming self-contradiction, and his approach to portraying the life of such a revered figure.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

    Continue reading

Recent — from ModBlog

  • BLEED LIKE ME

    BLEED LIKE ME

    This weekend BME will travel to San Fransisco’s 465 Collective to document, witness, and celebrate the opening reception of BLEED LIKE ME, a gallery exhibition curated by Lindsay…

    ,
  • Crying in the Cube

    Crying in the Cube

    Before my suspension at the Ontario Suspension Convention, I asked my facilitators not to let anyone photograph me if I was crying. I had never cried during a…

    ,
  • Laced up

    Laced up

    Corset piercings are a classic play piercing, and they never get old. This set by Dominick Burkett on Michi features two types of lace and golden chains to…

  • April is for SusCons

    April is for SusCons

    This month has been big for the North American suspension community. It kicked off with 13 Hooks, a new event consisting of 5 days of suspension instruction from…

    ,
  • Blinged-out back

    Blinged-out back

    Play piercings are always cool. But play piercings with accoutrements really expand the looks you can create. This set by Jazz shows that off with beads and chains…

All ModBlog posts →

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How to Support BME

BME’s past, present, and future are fundamentally driven by its community – and that is why support from people like you is so crucial. For nearly three decades, BME has been built on the contributions of enthusiasts worldwide. It is not backed by any big corporation or mainstream media company; it runs on passion, creativity, and the belief that sharing our stories can change lives. The content that fills BME – the images of beautiful tattoos, the detailed write-ups of piercing experiences, the interviews with modification artists – all come from the community itself.

Supporting BME means continuing this cycle of contribution and inspiration. Whether you are submitting your own story or simply engaging with others, you are helping sustain an invaluable trove of knowledge and a supportive network for current and future generations of body mod enthusiasts.

How to support BME →

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