Feature Friday - Céleste Bonnier
Name
Céleste Bonnier
Pronouns
She / He / They
Bio
I’m Céleste Bonnier, a Montréal-based tattoo artist and visual creator. My work lives where body, memory, and intuition meet. I approach tattooing as more than image-making — for me, it’s a way of marking moments, emotions, and transitions directly onto the skin.
I’m drawn to neotribal forms, organic movement, and symbolic structures that feel alive rather than fixed. I want my tattoos to breathe with the body that carries them — to shift, age, and deepen over time instead of remaining static. Each piece I make is built through dialogue, sensitivity, and attention to what wants to be expressed.
My background in graphic design shapes how I think about composition, balance, and visual rhythm, but tattooing allows me to work in a more instinctive, intimate way. I’m interested in creating images that feel both personal and universal — something you recognize in yourself even if you can’t quite name it.
Based in Montréal’s alternative art scene, my practice is rooted in collaboration, trust, and the quiet intensity of being seen. Every tattoo is a small ritual: a trace of who you are, where you’ve been, and what you’re becoming.
Instagram
@underyourskin_x_
Where in Montreal are you located?
MTL Tattoo is one of Montréal’s most established and respected tattoo studios, known for its long-standing presence in the city’s alternative art scene. The shop has built a reputation for combining strong technical tattooing with an openness to diverse artistic styles, making it a space where both tradition and experimentation coexist. Over the years, it has become a hub for artists who take their craft seriously while still pushing creative boundaries, contributing to Montréal’s reputation as an international tattoo destination.
What do you love about your neighborhood?
Being based in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal shapes the way I experience tattooing and the city. The neighborhood has this rare mix of grit and softness — old walk-ups covered in murals, cafés full of artists, late-night conversations, and people who aren’t afraid to look a little strange or different. It’s a place where individuality feels normal. Having MTL Tattoo in the heart of the Plateau means being surrounded by that creative energy every day: musicians, designers, skaters, writers, and people who treat their bodies as a form of self-expression. I like working here because it feels alive, curious, and open — the kind of environment where tattooing makes sense as part of everyday culture rather than something on the margins.
What’s your favourite art space in Montreal and why?
Arsenal is one of my favorite galleries in Montréal. The space itself already feels unreal — it’s huge, raw, and kind of cinematic — and it makes every exhibition feel bigger than just “art on walls.” I love how immersive and bold their shows are; you don’t just look at the work, you feel inside it. Every time I go, it feels like stepping into another world for a moment, which is exactly what I want from art.
Describe your art practice in your own words.
My art practice lives somewhere between body, emotion, and ritual. I work with tattooing and drawing as ways of marking experience — like turning what I feel into something visible on skin or paper. A lot of what I make comes from intensity: relationships, longing, vulnerability, transformation. I’m interested in how people carry their stories in their bodies, and how art can act like a quiet form of healing or witnessing. For me, creating isn’t about making something pretty — it’s about translating something real. I use line, symbols, and repetition the way some people use language: to make sense of what hurts, what connects us, and what we’re trying to become.
What mediums do you work with?
I mostly work with skin, paper, and ink. Tattooing is a big part of my practice, so the body becomes one of my main surfaces. I also draw on paper, where I can sketch, experiment, and let ideas take shape more freely.
What are you currently working on?
I recently started studying psychology, and it’s already starting to influence how I think about tattooing and art. Learning about how people experience emotion, memory, and identity gives more depth to the work I do on bodies and with clients. I’m curious to see how these two worlds — psychology and tattooing — might come together in the future, even if I don’t know exactly what that will look like yet.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I find most of my inspiration in the movement of the body and in subtle emotional states. Small gestures, posture, the way someone holds themselves, or how a feeling passes through a person all influence the way I draw and tattoo. I’m drawn to things that aren’t always easy to name, but that can be felt — and I try to let that quiet, shifting energy guide my work.
Describe your creative process.
My creative process moves between my own ideas and the ideas of my clients. Sometimes I start from a personal concept, built from different references and influences. Other times, a client brings multiple images, thoughts, or feelings, and I merge them together into one cohesive piece. I enjoy that in-between space, where different sources come together and slowly become something new.
What led you to pursue visual art?
I’ve always loved drawing — it’s something I’ve been obsessed with since I was a kid. I started out in graphic design, but eventually I moved toward tattooing after falling in love with it. It felt like the perfect middle ground between being creative and being connected to people, where I could make art while also sharing something meaningful with someone else.
Is there any medium you don’t currently work with, but would like to explore?
I’d love to explore oil painting in the future, but since going back to school, time has been limited. I’ve also taken a jewelry class, which I really enjoyed and would probably continue when I have more space for it. Working with metal feels surprisingly close to tattooing — it’s precise, slow, and very hands-on, and small gestures can completely change the final result. In a way, tattoos feel like jewels too: they’re intimate, carefully placed, and meant to be worn. For now, these are practices I keep in the back of my mind, ways of creating that I’m hoping to return to when things slow down a bit.
