Embracing Taboo

In an era of heavy media saturation, it’s hard to call anything taboo. We’re desensitized to and even expect to witness shocking behavior everyday, in our lives and online. But how comfortable are we facing the taboos within ourselves? Everybody has sides they choose to hide on a daily basis for fear of being outcasted. Sandy Taboo, however, has relinquished that fear after turning themselves inside out. Leaving behind their more reserved past, they’ve become a glowing authority in embracing every aspect of themselves—taboo and all—despite what the world approves.

A Vietnamese, non-binary artist, Taboo has become the most confident version of themselves by trusting in their vision. As an artist skilled in multiple mediums, Taboo runs their own eyeliner and jewelry business while fostering self-acceptance through an alternate universe they’ve created through social media. Unfettered by those who disapprove, Taboo and their followers, who have likely felt othered by society, can find unity in a shared community.

Taboo’s Instagram immediately hits you with a whirlwind of aesthetics displayed through avant-garde makeup and outfits. Their colorful and eccentric visuals incorporate eye contacts, fake blood, crazy prosthetics and anything else they can get their hands on. “I have a huge obsession with the unknown,” Taboo says. “I’m usually the odd one out my entire life, so I gravitated towards my style by just accepting myself for the first time.”

But Taboo wasn’t always an open book. “I was really scared and nervous to actually be my full Taboo self [at first],” they recall. “Then moving out of my hometown and moving to New York City, that’s when I met a group of individuals and they really accepted and uplifted me, and just allowed me to express myself and help me on that journey.”

Taboo draws a lot of their fashion inspiration from the NYC queer scene in particular, but also incorporates elements from all different kinds of niches. Whether it be cyber fashion and futuristic stuff, or Japanese style and “subcultures such as Lolita, visual kei, rock, and gyaru,” Taboo finds a way to blend it all together seamlessly while making a bold statement.

“I think I’m a maximalist,” they admit. “With my art, I’m like, ‘How can I just amp it up to the next layer?’ And also realizing nobody is thinking in this way, so I have to do it.”

The way Taboo landed on their name was serendipitous. When shuffling through trials of Instagram handles, they often made puns out of phrases in media (their name was once “deathwhips,” a nod to the band Death Grips). Eventually, they were inspired by the song “Sweetest Taboo” by Sade, and realized no one had taken the name Sandy Taboo. “Once I found out I can be Sandy Taboo, that really ignited something in me,” they say. “’Cause as soon as I went by that name, everything in my life shifted for the better. I was able to step into myself and see things on the other side.”

One of Taboo’s missions is to bring out the light in others and allow them to shine freely. Thus, their prolific eyeliner and jewelry lines were made for those who aren’t afraid to stand out in any room. The eyeliner comes in an array of colors and can be used to create striking graphic looks. Taboo’s edgy jewelry takes industrial fighting objects from ninja stars to spiky necklaces and turns them chic.

“In seventh grade I picked up $2 eyeliner from Walgreens,” Taboo remembers. “My first eyeliner [look] was a double-winged eyeliner by Michelle Phan and it was called anime eyes or something.” Years later, eyeliner is still Taboo’s go-to form of expression, and their designs have only grown more experimental. “A lot of my work is inspired by the thick lines in tattoos for sure,” they say. “Like how fluid and thick they are.” When asked if Taboo would get these designs tattooed on their face, they said, “I would never say never. I could see myself doing something like that in the future, but it’s taking me a while to decide. Right now I like how I can have a blank canvas to just create what I need to.”

Until Taboo makes that decision, they’ve already started inking other parts of their body, starting with a large piece on their stomach which reads “TABOO” in a detailed gothic font. Below it is a crawling centipede. While some might find it unthinkable to tattoo one’s name or brand on themselves, the choice didn’t require a second thought from Taboo. Having originally been a moniker they stumbled upon, “Sandy Taboo” soon evolved into a name they identified with outside of the virtual space, and eventually acquired the tattoo to differentiate themselves from their deadname.

The piece was actually done twice—once in a smaller font Taboo found online, and the second time they covered it up with their own design. ”The first time it happened,” they say, “I felt like I was being pulled into myself. Because I was like, oh, this is forever now. This ‘taboo’ is here for life.” About the newest version, they resonate with it even more now because it’s more personal. “I put hours of work into creating every single letter and figuring out which one fits me,” they explain. “If in the future I stop resonating [with the tattoo] or I want something else, then I’ll just go over it again for the third time.”

Most people consider their tattoos to be a permanent alteration of the body. People get them to close a chapter, or cement a specific time period in their lives. Taboo, however, takes a different approach, allowing their tattoos to grow and evolve with them over time. “Life I just think is very mutable,” they say, “so I don’t wanna stay fixed on too much of anything. I think we can just be more lenient and more fluid with who we are.”

In being themselves and projecting that into the world, Taboo naturally attracts a tribe, and deflects those who aren’t operating with the same mentality. “The mission of what I want to do really does outspeak anyone,” Taboo says. “Because it’s like, I don’t know you people [who don’t support me], and the people who do support me will enhance my vision and they understand it. I think being whole and being full in myself—that has nothing to do with anyone else. Because they can shine too, you know? What’s stopping them?”

Taboo’s future is packed, but simultaneously wide open. In addition to the release of more eyeliner colors in the near future, we can look forward to the release of their temporary tattoo collection this month. You can also check out The Sandy and Mandy Show, Taboo’s podcast hosted by them and their best friend, who is also Vietnamese and non-binary, to plug into all things spiritual and uncover self-improvement lessons they’ve learned.

After practicing electric guitar this past year, Taboo sees releasing music in their path as well. On top of it all, spiritual work lays heavy on their mind as they’ve become increasingly interested in witchy practices such as tarot readings, cleanses and reiki. “So I see myself being a healer and a rockstar,” they beam. “And then wherever else life wants to take me, I’m down.”

With all-encompassing interests and an insatiable hunger to create, trying to predict what form Taboo’s art will take shape in next is as futile as predetermining your fate. Trust that they’ll never stop manifesting their vision, and you’re more than welcome to come along for the ride.