ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque artist Ray Kim showed off her skills in a live self-tattoo performance. During the event, she celebrated the culmination of a six-month residency with a local print shop by launching her new book Sublime Hallucinations. "It was basically taking this, like little idea about, like, this very broad topic, like the decolonized history of tattooing, and then finding the thread that sort of connects it to me, and I am someone who has, like, a history of chronic pain and chronic illness,” said Kim. As a Korean American, the artist added distilled mugwort, a common Korean herb used in traditional medicine, to the ink. Candlelight vigil honors ‘Por Vida’ tattoo shop owner John ‘Bale’ Sisneros "I'm tattooing my wrist, which I actually had an injury to about 10 years ago, and it's still actually pretty weak. I can't carry a gallon of water or milk with it,” said Kim. Kim said the healing method has been around since prehistoric times, "I know a lot of people get tattooed because it is sort of like therapy for them. It really is a great way to take your mind and bring you back into your body." The self-taught tattoo artist applied to the artist-in-residence program at Risolana, where they used a different method to print. "Risograph printing is kind of like screen printing, but with a Xerox machine, so it's really quick, and you can get a lot of interesting textures and colors, and you can do kind of a lot with it," said Kim. She shared how some of the pages shaped her message. Eastern New Mexico University head rodeo coach accused of embezzlement, animal cruelty "This section really talks about, like in-depth, a little bit more in-depth about women's role in tattooing and how women are generally the healers, or like medicinal people, in a lot of cultures around the world,” said Kim. Kim hopes her work will inspire others to think outside the box, "I really hope that people walk away with a sort of different idea of what tattooing can be. It doesn't have to be, you know, American traditional black and gray, new school tattoos. It can be literally anything you want." She pointed out one of her favorite tattoos in memory of her dog of fifteen years. “My dog died two and a half years ago. So, it's really nice to have this, like, permanent reminder that he's always there.” To learn more about Risolana, their residency program, or where to find Ray Kim's book, Sublime Hallucinations, click here.