Alona Hamova, a 28-year-old tattoo artist at Brooklyn-based Atelier Eva, has found a new home in New York after escaping the war in Ukraine that broke out on Feb. 24, 2022.

"These two years have been challenging for sure," Hamova reflected on her journey from Ukraine to New York.

Born and raised in a small Ukrainian village called Novovasylivka, near the town of Berdyansk, Hamova moved to Kyiv at 17 for college. Despite initially studying to become a translator, she quickly realized that it wasn't her true calling.

Her journey to becoming a tattoo artist started with a daffodil tattoo on her leg, which she described as a transformative turning point in her life. Her personal style soon evolved, leading her to focus on blackwork floral tattoos.

"When I am tattooing it feels really peaceful because I am in the process, like I'm so concentrated on the lines and black work, I just enjoy all of it and it allows me to be in the present moment," Hamova said. "When people make a decision to get this kind of tattoo, it's like they notice their own desires and they accept them. It's like you're one more step towards your authentic self and towards your strength. And I'm just here to transcribe that strength into the visual representation and put it under the skin."

Hamova was in Kyiv when the war broke out. She described the anxiety-filled day and made the difficult decision to leave Kyiv with her friend's urging.

"She's actually from Russia and she was so sure that it would be only worse because she lived in Russia," she said. "She knows the way their president thinks. And she was like, 'We should go somewhere.' My parents live in Poland. So I was like, 'Well then, let's go.'"

They embarked on a 35-hour journey to Poland due to flight cancellations and long traffic jams.

Hamova worked as a guest tattoo artist for nearly a year in Europe before she arrived in New York last February. After an initial six-month stint at another studio, she found Atelier Eva, which she credits for fostering authenticity and creativity.

"It just matched," she said. "I feel like I fit in for the first time in my life since that tiny village. It took me this long to get here, but I'm finally at home."

Hamova's unique tattooing style has drawn clients from across the United States. One such client, Regan Acosta, 27, from Vacaville, California, said she flew over five hours to get a tattoo from Hamova.

"The line work was absolutely beautiful," Acosta said. "To me, it's worth it, especially to have something like this forever." -Report from Reuters