Catalpa Studio is a queer-run, private tattoo studio in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal, founded in 2018 by Kae Nine Fingers and Luci Tattoos. Milo Lefort joined Catalpa in late 2021. At Catalpa, we strive to create a space that is welcoming to all.

Our studio is named after a tree called “Catalpa” (Catalpa speciosa). The catalpa is a deciduous tree native to the southern U.S. but can also be found in nearly every large park in Montreal. The name catalpa is derived from the Muscogee word “kutulpa”, meaning “winged-head”. Catalpa trees produce intricate male and female flowers and are a striking example of gender-nonconformity in the non-human world. Like Catalpa trees, many of us are forced to live far from our roots — be it due to colonization, economic migration, or gender and sexual orientation. In building Catalpa, we hope to create a place of beauty and belonging for all.

We live and work on the unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka on the island of Tio’tià:ke, otherwise known as Montreal. For millennia, Tio’tià:ke was a place of gathering and exchange between nations, and included the Kanien’kehá:ka (from the Haudenosaunee Confederation), the Huron/ Wendat, the Abenaki and the Anishinaabeg (Algonquin). 

We recognize the role of the Kanien’kehá:ka as the guardians of the lands and waters, and as the protectors of the resources that we benefit from today. We also recognize the hundreds of other First Nations, the Inuit, and the Métis people who have been the stewards of Turtle Island (aka North America), and we support the Indigenous resistances that continue here and across the continent. 

We recognize the effects of colonialism and white supremacy: in how we occupy Indigenous lands, and how that occupation affects Indigenous peoples, their cultures, their safety, the stability of their communities, and also the health of our planet.   

Catalpa Studio commits to engaging in reparations in the form of giving a portion of our studio income each month to Indigenous and/or Black community members. Please talk to your artist for more information on how to participate in reparations for Black and Indigenous peoples. 

We encourage everyone who inhabits Turtle Island to inform themselves about the history and ongoing reality of Black and Indigenous peoples on this continent. 

We acknowledge that there are various barriers that stand in the way of folks from accessing tattoos. One way that we attempt to address those barriers is by offering a sliding scale option for our tattoos. Ask your artist for more detailed information about this policy.