Alicia Cardenas 1977 - 2021

Alicia Cardenas is a fucking badass. She’s a professional body piercer, tattooer, modification artist, and business owner in Denver, Colorado. 

She’s also a mother, sister, daughter, friend, mentor, inspiration, activist, BOSS, musician, healer and a force to be reckoned with.

Alicia started piercing in July of 1994 and continued many avenues of body modification and art until the day she passed.

The things she accomplished are admirable. Being a woman of color business owner for 20+ years, Alicia had one hell of a journey to get where she got and we thank her for paving the way for us.

She created a place for us, a home for us to be a community. Thanks for our little family Alicia, for everyone who has come and gone.

Losing Alicia has rocked the remaining employees of Sol Tribe and we strive to keep her vision alive everyday through our work here.

We hope we are making you proud. We miss you every day. We still can’t believe that you aren’t here on this realm with us.

“ I will always do body art. ALWAYS. It’s a lifestyle, not a job.”

- Alicia Cardenas

Words from the Association of Professional Piercers

Alicia’s service to the Association of Professional Piercers included a term on the Board of Directors 2005-2008 as President and 2002-2005 as International Liaison.

She was integral in outreach to piercers all over the world, but especially Central and South America. Alicia spoke regularly at the Association of Professional Piercers conferences, where she was one of the few voices who could speak articulately and with expertise about nearly every aspect of body art, be it technical, historical, cultural, anthropological or spiritual. She shared freely with those who asked, and body artists everywhere have been touched by her instruction.  Alicia lived beautifully.

She spent time in deep contemplation about, and gratitude for, her family, her friends, and her communities. Her presence and example are cherished by the piercers, tattooers, muralists, and artists she worked with all over the world. Her life was a gift to all who knew her.  

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