Her exhibition at Onwards Studio is called Grotesque Companion and it opens tonight. The body of work comes from a very personal place.

"Chronic pain has been a constant in my life since I was 10; it influences every decision and inevitably has an impact on my work, in particular my art," she tells Weekender.

"When searching for a concept for my show, pain and my experience of it revealed itself as the obvious choice.

"To develop the body of work for Grotesque Companion, I found it best to start with what I know, employing styles and techniques I enjoy and am inspired by, like crosshatching, and go from there.

"I love the way simple black lines can be built up to create tone and form and I am heavily influenced by scientific illustrations from the 16^th to 18^th centuries.

"I also love the aesthetic of decorative arts from the Renaissance and Victorian periods, and you can see these influences and techniques in my work for Grotesque Companion."

Grotesque Companion explores the ways in which pain can reshape or distort the body by employing imagery of the grotesque.

"This series describes my own experience with chronic pain, caused by illness and injury and my ongoing struggle to accept the ways my body has been altered by pain.

"Illness or injury encumbers and warps the body making it feel abnormal and unfamiliar, it can complicate one's relationship with their body. Even when the illness is cured or the injury mended, the pain can be enduring.

"For many folks with chronic pain, the pain can become inseparable from one's experience of the body, it is an unceasing intrusion of an unwelcome companion.

"Inspired by grotesques depicted in the decorative arts, the beasts at first appear as an illness invading the body. Then, when excised from the body, the vessel has transmogrified and is inalienable from the grotesque as pain takes hold.

"The anthropomorphic qualities of the vase, as well as its fragility, make it a perfect symbol for the afflicted body.

"The vessel has both a utilitarian purpose, from medicine containers to funerary urns and is a source of aesthetic pleasure, much like the human body.

"In the case of "Grotesque Companion", though the vessel has been devoured by pain, it still holds purpose and has reconciled to its transformation."

Eddy Lou was also driven , in part, by a desire to explore her art practice outside of tattooing. Eddy Lou has been tattooing for 11 years and has owned her own studio, FLT, at Hamilton for the past five years.

"While it will always be my greatest passion, I have long had a desire to explore other mediums and further develop my artistic voice," she says.

"Like many creatives, I struggle with imposter syndrome and am a bit of a procrastinator, but I took a leap and booked a show at Onwards.

"I am a big believer in pushing your boundaries and in the importance of creating art.

"Onwards is a great place for an outsider artist to display their work and further their practice.

"Pain and its impact on the body is a very complex subject and my work won't even begin to explore or explain it, however, it has been truly wonderful creating these pieces and having the opportunity to communicate my experience and develop my art beyond just tattooing."

Over the years Eddy Lou has developed a distinctive etching style of Blackwork tattooing with a focus on intricate botanicals, animalia, mythological creatures, occult imagery and cross-hatched portraits. Stylistically, she is inspired by medical and scientific illustrations and by the work of Gustave Doré, Albrecht Drer and Hendrick Goltzius.

Beyond tattooing and maintaining FLT, Eddy Lou is an active supporter of charity events including the Not Just A Girl tattoo charity flash days. She also hosts the NJAG feminist tattoo podcast.

She studied Fine Arts at Hunter Street TAFE in 2006.

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