Adwoa Aboah’s tattoos are small and scattered across her hands, fingers and wrist. Some mark people close to her; others connect to feminism, mental health or a line of poetry. She has explained several of them herself, including “Gurl Power,” the number 3, a small “J” a friend did, her sister’s birthday and the words “All the women. In me. Are tired.”
The pieces don’t form one matching set. They read more like separate notes from different parts of her life, and the photos don’t always show every detail clearly.
Adwoa Aboah’s “Gurl Power” hand tattoos
The words “Gurl” and “Power” are split across Aboah’s hands. She told Teen Vogue she got the tattoo while working on a series with Vice and i-D. Vogue Germany reported that Jon Boy did the hand ink.
Hand lettering appears in ordinary gestures, then disappears when Aboah moves or covers her hands. The small, dark script is direct and easy to read. The message connects with the work she does through Gurls Talk, but Aboah hasn’t described the tattoo as a logo for the organization.
The small marks on her fingers and hands
Aboah has other small marks across her fingers and hands. One she discussed with Teen Vogue is a little “J” that a friend did. She has also described her tattoos as markers of different stages in her self-discovery.
The collection mixes letters, numbers and small symbols instead of following one planned design. That leaves room for new pieces, and it means individual tattoos don’t have to match.
What the number 3 means to Adwoa Aboah
Aboah told Teen Vogue she got the number 3 with her friends and that it’s her number. Vogue France also linked the mark with mental-health awareness. The small numeral sits among other hand tattoos and can be easy to miss in a wider photo.
The two explanations should stay distinct: Aboah described it as her number and said she got it with friends; Vogue France supplied the mental-health connection.
A tattoo for her sister’s birthday
Aboah has said she got her sister’s birthday tattooed. The exact placement and style aren’t clear in the available editorial photos, so there’s no need to guess at how it looks.
A date can be a family marker without being legible to anyone else. Aboah has described it as one of several tattoos tied to people and moments she wants to remember.
“All the women. In me. Are tired.” wrist tattoo
The wrist phrase reads, “All the women. In me. Are tired.” It comes from Nayyirah Waheed’s book Nejma, and the periods break the line into short beats.
Allure has shown the tattoo close up, and Vogue Germany described it as minimalist script on her hand or wrist. The words are longer and more reflective than “Gurl Power,” but the small lettering keeps the piece understated.
Why her tattoos look so good in fashion photographs
Aboah’s small tattoos can disappear under sleeves or gloves, then show when a shoot exposes her hands. That gives an editor room to frame her face or clothes without making the ink the whole subject.
Her shaved head, freckles and piercings are also part of the look. The tattoos sit alongside them rather than taking over the frame.
Adwoa Aboah’s tattoo style in one sentence
Aboah’s collection is small hand and wrist ink with references to friends, family, feminism and poetry. It includes lettering and numbers, but the pieces don’t need to match to belong together.
The useful idea is to choose tattoos for their own reasons, not to make a perfectly coordinated set. Small words need enough room to stay readable, and a collection can grow over time.