Grace Neutral
{{short description|British tattoo artist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Grace Neutral
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Grace Walker
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|3|29|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| nationality = British
| occupation = {{flatlist|
}}
| website = {{url|www.instagram.com/GraceNeutral}}
}}
Grace Walker (born 29 March 1989), known professionally as Grace Neutral, is a British television presenter, model, and hand-poke tattoo artist based in the United Kingdom.{{cite web | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/viceland-how-vice-s-tv-network-aims-to-be-the-most-original-and-important-channel-for-young-people-a3346816.html | title=Viceland: how VICE's TV network aims to be 'the most original and important channel for young people' |author=Jones, Ellen E.| newspaper=Evening Standard | date=September 16, 2016}}{{cite news | url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/30017817/grace-neutral-tattoo-princess-redefining-the-face-of-beauty/#page1| title=Tattooed 'pixie dream girl' redefining the face of beauty as we know it |author1=Nickell, Amy |author2=Johnson, Krystal| work=Yahoo News | date=November 6, 2015}} She holds a substantial social media presence with over half a million followers.Instagram In 2016, Neutral was the presenter in an i-D magazine documentary Beyond Beauty.
Personal life
Neutral was born in Dubai and spent most of her childhood traveling around the world with her family as her father was a captain in the Merchant Navy. {{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ldhj6_Xe68|title=Grace Neutral {{!}} A Twenty First Century Tattoo {{!}} S2 EP1|website=Youtube|language=en|access-date=2024-02-05}} Later, they returned to England, settling in the village of Newton Ferrers in Devon, and Grace attended the independent school Plymouth College. At the age of 20, she relocated to London, where she now lives and works.{{Cite news|url=https://i-d.co/article/grace-neutral-was-born-to-be-different/|title=grace neutral was born to be different {{!}} read|work=i-D|access-date=2017-03-04|language=en|archive-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305042555/https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/grace-neutral-was-born-to-be-different|url-status=live}} Neutral began ballet dancing at a young age{{Cite web|url=https://spindlemagazine.com/2015/11/interview-grace-neutral/|title=Spindle|website=spindlemagazine.com|accessdate=Jun 13, 2020}} going on to take classes at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and summer school at the Royal Ballet, eventually sustaining a hip injury that ended her ballet career at age 14.{{Citation|last=Judy Godhart|title=Grace Neutral on Self Love|date=2016-02-25|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzI9iLOEv1U|accessdate=2017-03-04}} After this injury she start attending punk and alternative gigs at The Phoenix Tavern in Plymouth and became more interested in various aspects of alt culture such as tattoos and other body modifications and culture, which later became the focus of her career. In 2008 she moved to Bristol where she enrolled on a stage makeup course at City of Bristol College, before moving to London in 2010 where she got a job at the café in Madame Tussauds.{{Cite web|url=https://tttism.com/2019/08/29/grace-neutral-graceneutral|title=GRACE NEUTRAL {{!}} TTTISM|website=TTTism|language=en|access-date=2022-09-04|archive-date=28 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928065247/https://tttism.com/2019/08/29/grace-neutral-graceneutral/|url-status=dead}} Neutral has numerous extreme body modifications including a bifurcated tongue, tattooed eyes, reconstructed ears, a removed navel, and facial scarification.{{Cite web |last=Dunn |first=Francesca |date=2014-12-01 |title=Grace Neutral's Beauty is Out of This World |url=https://i-d.co/article/grace-neutrals-beauty-is-out-of-this-world/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Vice}}
Career
Neutral entered the body modification industry as a piercer before hand-poke tattooing,{{cite web| url=http://www.thedebrief.co.uk/style/fashion/grace-neutral-20151156921| title=We Chatted With Grace Neutral About Her Clothing Collection, Tattoos and Body Modification| author=Squier, Chemmie| publisher=The Defrief| date=November 2, 2015| access-date=28 November 2016| archive-date=29 November 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129025509/http://www.thedebrief.co.uk/style/fashion/grace-neutral-20151156921| url-status=dead}} a machine-free tattooing method. Following her move to London, she gained an apprenticeship as a piercer at Self Sacrifice Tattoo after being handed a flyer on Oxford Street and then going in to inquire about work. There she was trained by Ala who was a member of The Psycho Cyborgs performance arts troupe which further piqued her interest in the body modification lifestyle.{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ldhj6_Xe68|title=Grace Neutral {{!}} A Twenty First Century Tattoo {{!}} S2 EP1|website=Youtube|language=en|access-date=2024-02-05}} In 2011 she was working as a piercer at Pure Ink and was asked to model for Alex MacNaughton's 'London Tattoos' book, after which she was put on the cover.{{cite web|url=https://www.bigtattooplanet.com/node/64476|title=READER PROFILE 209 - GRACE|website=Big Tattoo Planet|language=en|access-date=2024-02-05}} Neutral also worked for Good Times Tattoo and attended the London Tattoo Convention{{cite web |url=http://www.thelondontattooconvention.com/artists/post/2014-grace-neutral/ |title=Grace Neutral |publisher=The International London Tattoo Convention |date=2014 |access-date=28 November 2016 |archive-date=29 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129030717/http://www.thelondontattooconvention.com/artists/post/2014-grace-neutral/ |url-status=dead }} with them in 2014.{{Cite news |date=2014-09-29 |title=10th international London tattoo convention – in pictures |url=http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2014/sep/29/10th-international-london-tattoo-convention-in-pictures |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=the Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Neutral is the founder of Femme Fatale Studio.{{cite web |url=https://www.elle.com/uk/beauty/skin/g36914266/hand-poked-tattoos/ |title=24 Of The Most Stunning Hand-Poked Tattoos |publisher=Elle |author=Thompson, Hannah |date=July 8, 2021}}
=Television and film appearances=
In 2012 she co-starred in Idles music video for their song "26/27" alongside a group of her Bristol based female friends, filmed on location at their home and directed by former Tracey Beaker star Felix Drake.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8840020|title=IDLES: 26/27 {{!}} imdb|website=IMDb|language=en|access-date=2021-09-04}}
In 2015, she was featured in the Phaze What music video Tokyo.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211209/_pcLodlSG0k Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160128172705/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcLodlSG0k Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcLodlSG0k| title = Phaze What - Tokyo (Official Video) | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} She is the presenter of i-D magazine documentary series Beyond Beauty,{{Cite web|url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/topic/grace-neutral|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218125429/http://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/topic/grace-neutral|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2014|title=Grace Neutral {{!}} i-D|website=i-D|language=en|access-date=2017-03-04}} which launched on the i-D YouTube channel.
Neutral's documentary Beyond Beauty with i-D magazine aired on Viceland in 2016.{{cite web | url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/topic/grace-neutral | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218125429/http://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/topic/grace-neutral | url-status=dead | archive-date=18 December 2014 | title=Grace Neutral|author=I.D. staff| publisher=VICE Media | date=October 27, 2016}} She is currently the presenter of Needles and Pins, a Viceland series documenting tattoo culture across the globe. In 2021 she sat as a subject on Season 8 of Sky Arts' Portrait Artist of the Year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sky.com/watch/title/series/3e1cfda1-28a9-42f2-be75-220b7e8863ca/portrait-artist-of-the-year|title=Portrait Artist of the Year{{!}} sky.com|website=sky.com|language=en|access-date=2022-09-04}}
She currently has her own YouTube channel, FFTV,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/graceneutral | title=FFTV with Grace Neutral | website=YouTube }} showcasing the stories behind tattoos and the people who wear them. Its flagship YouTube series Under Your Skin features in-depth, unfiltered conversations with high-profile guests as they get tattooed, including Daisy May Cooper,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb71O2Z_Tgo | title=Daisy May Cooper Talks Ghosts, IKEA Boyfriends & Tattoos | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=17 December 2023 }} Denzel Curry,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbueytaNbgc | title=Music, Mindset, and a Fresh Tattoo with Denzel Curry | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=24 July 2024 }} Rosie Jones,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owInv7P7Pj0 | title=Laughter, Tattoos, and Taking Down Trolls: Rosie Jones Gets Inked | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=8 June 2024 }} Joe Talbot from IDLES,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Dr6TxQDqk | title=Punk Philosophy and Tattoo Therapy with Joe Talbot (IDLES) | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=15 February 2024 }} Eliza Rose,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0tEhp0wEoc | title=Tattooed Memories & Laser Trauma: Eliza Rose Brings the Laughs | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=5 April 2024 }} Cat Burns,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRV-GF-gLIo | title=Wizard Frogs, Tattoos, and ed Sheeran Hangovers with Cat Burns | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=16 July 2024 }} Headie One,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcxmDiujPCg | title=Headie One Takes on Tattoo Pain… with a Side of Rum | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=29 June 2024 }} Zheani,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_YDzbE9Kso | title=Tattooing Bonds & Breaking Cycles with Zheani | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=20 September 2024 }} Jamali Maddix,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKFR_bEW0uQ | title=From Stand-Up to Lay-Down: Jamali Maddix Takes the Tattoo Pain | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=20 June 2024 }} Rag 'n' Bone Man,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3YJl9Qs2mo | title=From Drum & Bass to Tattoo Pain: Rag'n'Bone Man Gets Real | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=24 May 2024 }} Noodles from The Offspring{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD3ag5w3gaI | title=Tattooing Rock Royalty: Noodles (The Offspring) Shares Wild Stories | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=11 October 2024 }} and Laura Whitmore.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asnVK5nTiGY | title=Tattoos & Truths: Laura Whitmore Talks Life, Love, and Ink | Under Your Skin | website=YouTube | date=9 August 2024 }} Since its launch, FFTV{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/graceneutral | title=FFTV with Grace Neutral | website=YouTube }} has gained millions of views across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, establishing itself as a bold, visually distinctive platform that blends alternative culture, celebrity insight, and emotional storytelling.
Books
- Neutral (2019)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Tumblr|ahistoryofweedcraft|Grace Neutral}}
- {{IMDb name|id=nm10046542|name=Grace Neutral}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neutral, Grace}}
Category:British Internet celebrities
Category:British tattoo artists
Category:British female models
Category:British women bloggers
Category:British expatriates in the United Arab Emirates