Benjamin Alexander Hamilton on Body Reclamation, Body Autonomy and the Modern Rite of Passage
Cultural milestones are slowly diminishing in frequency, leaving young adults searching for tangible markers of transition. Benjamin Alexander Hamilton, CEO of Best Studio Ever, believes body art has emerged as one of the last authentic rites of passage in modern American life, standing as an embodied declaration that adulthood has arrived and autonomy now rests in one’s own hands.
Turning eighteen confers legal authority, and Hamilton argues that tattoos and piercings translate that authority into ceremony. “At 18, you finally get to be in charge of your own body and make your own choices, and that celebration of body autonomy is powerful,” he explains. Studies validate that belief, showing how young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are more inclined toward body modification due to their adventurous nature.
With many of the studio’s clients, Hamilton notes that the appointment itself becomes the marker of adulthood, more immediate and embodied than other civic duties such as voting or marriage, which he argues may have lost emotional weight for younger generations.
“People know they want something, they want to feel different,” he says. “They might not consciously articulate it that way, but they’re marking growth.” Choosing placement, jewelry, or design, in his view, becomes an act of agency and autonomy. That is where he believes identity can be curated and carried forward in appearance.
He expands this notion of body modification to other milestones, celebrations, and positive affirmations, and on the other end of the narrative, to mourning or trauma. Pointing to a parallel thread running through studios, he shares,
“There is a lot of trauma-informed consent discussion happening in our industry. People who have experienced significant trauma have been shown to get body art to cope with their emotions. That’s significant. It puts a big responsibility on practitioners to help people reclaim their bodies and undergo a major growth transition, which goes well beyond aesthetic factors.”
He recounts moments that often reframed the procedure room as something closer to a safe space. “A piercer asked a woman why she wanted her piercing,” Hamilton shares. “She said her family member, who had passed away, had that same piercing, and that’s one of the ways she wished to honor their life. That changes the entire context.” Encounters like these, he highlights, reinforce the gravity of the practitioner’s role. “We’re often the first line of support for people going through something profound, and that’s not a duty we take lightly,” he adds.
Through his work, Hamilton has sought to address the broader normalization of body art. According to Forbes, approximately one-third of American adults are permanently inked. Yet Hamilton maintains that media portrayals lag far behind reality. “Whenever you see our industry in movies or TV, it’s portrayed in a dark alley, a biker with his shirt off, a pit bull in the corner,” he says. “That narrative is not only outdated, it’s also offensive.”
He emphasizes that contemporary professional studios resemble high-end salons or boutique spas, prioritizing implant-grade materials, sterilization protocols, and consultative design. Body piercing, the cornerstone of his company’s operations, has evolved into a discipline grounded in anatomical precision and client education.
Central to that shift is the collaborative process Hamilton champions. “It starts at the counter. You ask open-ended questions. What are you envisioning? What is your favorite gemstone?” he explains. “We walk them through everything. Then, in the procedure room, we ask the more detailed questions. What are you hoping to get out of this? We ask permission to close the door and make it clear that they’re in charge. That’s how body autonomy is reinforced.”
Hamilton draws a sharp distinction between technical execution and the customer-practitioner relationship. “If the practitioner looks at you as a dollar and doesn’t make it meaningful, that’s the tattoo you end up wanting to cover,” he says. Conversely, he has seen clients cherish imperfect work because of the trust forged during the session. “When the connection is significant, all they see is that experience. It means something deeper than what you’re looking at,” Hamilton adds.
That depth, he argues, often escapes purely financial metrics. “A shareholder may not understand that this is sacred,” Hamilton says. “There’s value here that the bottom line doesn’t represent.” His company’s move toward an employee-owned model reflects his conviction that stewardship protects the integrity of the craft. “We’re putting our company where our mouth is,” he adds. “Taking care of people has to come first.”
Hamilton frequently reflects on the existential dimension of body art. “Imagine infinite versions of yourself in parallel universes,” he says. “One of the only differentiators might be the body art you carry. It tethers and grounds you to this version of who you are and what’s meaningful in your life.”
Ultimately, Benjamin Hamilton frames tattoos and piercings as embodied affirmations, as markers of survival and of growth. At Best Studio Ever, he creates an atmosphere where clients can leave altered in ways that extend beyond beautification.
“When there’s trust and intention, people walk out changed,” he says. “We’re honoring the craft, honoring the client, and honoring the growth that happens within our walls. That’s the part worth protecting.”
Photo Source: Best Studio Ever, Roseburg (source: Best Studio Ever)
