About Ava

Hello, I’m Ava Schlesinger. My work lives at the intersection of art, healing, and human connection.

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After graduating from Parsons School of Design, I spent many years working in New York City as a graphic designer and creative director before returning to school to pursue another calling: social work. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, my professional life has centered around supporting individuals and communities impacted by trauma, violence, illness, and systemic inequity.

 

This work profoundly shapes the way I approach tattooing.

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I believe restorative and paramedical tattooing are about far more than pigment alone. They are about identity, agency, visibility, grief, reclamation, and the deeply personal process of feeling at home in one’s body again.

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My path into areola restoration and scar camouflage began during my own period of post-pandemic reflection and transformation, when I discovered the powerful role tattooing could play in healing after surgery, reconstruction, and life transition. I was immediately drawn to the intimacy and humanity of this work – the opportunity to sit with someone, listen to their story, and create something meaningful together.

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Today, I specialize in areola repigmentation, scar camouflage, fine-line body art, and permanent makeup in a private Manhattan studio.

In addition to artistic training, I have pursued advanced education in paramedical tattooing and micropigmentation, and I am board certified by the American Academy of Micropigmentation and licensed as a tattoo artist in New York City.

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Whether restorative, aesthetic, or deeply symbolic, every treatment is approached with patience, collaboration, transparency, and care.

Every body carries a story.

It is an honor to be trusted with yours.