White Anvil Tattoo | Photo by Isaac Warnecke | The Wright State Guardian
White Anvil Tattoo is a locally owned tattoo shop that promotes a liberating lifestyle for its artists while making a difference in the Dayton community.
Artists weigh in
Donta’e Foster and Alyshia Osborn are artists at White Anvil Tattoo. They both enjoy connecting with Dayton locals, presenting their artistic aesthetics and making a difference through their art.
Before becoming a tattoo artist, Foster worked to design parts for Toyota. He also painted a large mural in Trotwood and received several awards from Dayton’s “Urban Nights” program.
Additionally, Foster drives from Columbus every day in order to continue his employment at White Anvil because of the connections he has formed with his peers and the Dayton community.
“We are extremely connected to the downtown community. For example, with the Oregon shooting, we canceled a whole day of events in order to give back to the community. We gave out free ‘Dayton Strong’ tattoos for an entire day,” Foster said.
Osborn began a career in graphic design but decided to transition to tattooing rather than working a desk job. She has been an artist at White Anvil for more than three years and enjoys collaborating with other local female artists.
“I love being able to create art every day. Most of the time, I have artistic freedom too. Any time someone lets me do something I am interested in, like anime, I love it,” Osborn said.
In addition to creative and personal freedom, Foster and Osborn enjoy collaborating with clients to curate interesting and unique designs.
Foster’s aesthetic embodies colorful, wacky vibes. He also enjoys working with clients that share an interest in horror films.
Osborn’s aesthetic is edgy and she commonly designs anime-based pieces. She enjoys working with clients that allow her creative freedom in creating the tattoo’s design.
Customers weigh in
Cincinnati resident Hailey Snow enjoys working with Foster and has received several tattoos from him.
“It was such a great experience getting tattooed by him. He is hilarious and made me feel super comfortable. He also encouraged me to try some color in my rib tattoo and I am so happy that I allowed his creativity to flow into my tattoo,” Snow said.
Dayton local Chelsey Kellar received her first tattoo at White Anvil and plans to return in the future for her future pieces.
“I had an idea for my tattoo, but Donta’e created an even better design than I ever imagined. I love the energy of White Anvil and appreciate that they made me feel comfortable for my first tattoo,” Kellar said.
Students that are interested in visiting White Anvil are encouraged to visit their website:https://whiteanviltattoo.com/
