Our Story
“It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”
-Patrick Rothfuss, Name of the Wind
Ravensgate is the realization of a dream shared between its founders Jordan and John Cunningham.
Jordan and John met 5 years ago in Hidalgo, Mexico. Drawn to each other by a shared love for travel, a passion for stories, and love for bad jokes, they were married within the year and have been supporting each other’s creative endeavors ever since.
Jordan and John have both been working as independent makers/artists for several years now, Jordan as a tattoo artist and John as a leather craftsman. When the opportunity arose to open their own studio in the heart of Phoenixville, they saw the chance for both of their careers to unite into one new, beautiful business.
It is important to Jordan and John that their space is more than a private tattoo studio or leather retail space. Rather, they hope to create a business that can help showcase not only their work, but the work of other creatives in the Phoenixville area. The goal of Ravensgate is to be a center of collaboration between tattooing, crafting, and fine-arts, with an emphasis placed on creating space for gallery shows and pop-up events.
Phoenixville is a blossoming town with an incredible artist community that Jordan and John are excited to be a part of.
In 2024 they added a new member to the team, Adrian Maldonado. Adrian is a tattoo artist with a background in fine art and metal-smithing. He specializes in ornamental blackwork and has been an incredible addition to the shop.
About Jordan
Jordan is a tattoo artist and illustrator specializing in blackwork and fine line illustrative tattooing. She grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and has her Bachelors of Fine Art from ECU. Before tattooing, Jordan worked as a teaching assistant for an art-based study abroad program in Italy and her tattoo work is heavily inspired by Greco-Roman mythology and classical art. She has been tattooing since 2018.
Jordan is passionate about the intersection of fine art and tattooing and believes that creativity thrives in community. Although Jordan will be the only full-time tattoo artist at Ravensgate, she hopes to regularly host guest tattooers and facilitate a studio that encourages artistic community from all disciplines.
Jordan is an avid reader and musician and spends the majority of her time drawing and trying not to kill her houseplants. At an appointment you can expect her to ramble about fantasy books, mythology, video games and Eurovision.
Go check out her tattoo work at @jaybird_tattoos ✦
About John
John is responsible for the leathercrafting and retail side of Ravensgate. Having grown up in a military family, John is well-traveled and has seen a lot of the world, never having lived in any one place for more than a few years at a time, a tradition he had unintentionally carried on throughout his 20s.
When he and Jordan began contemplating where they want to finally call home, it didn’t take long to land on Phoenixville. John is excited to finally have a place where he feels he can fully invest in the community and where he can build the next stage of life.
John has been working with leather as a hobby since 2019. He started because he wanted to make some costuming accessories for renaissance festivals. However, a passion grew out of making a few costuming items and eventually evolved into developing techniques in the craft to make the products you can find today.
In 2020, John launched his first business, Calm and Chaos Leathercraft. What began as a part-time side hustle developed into a full-time job as the business grew and demanded more time and attention. In our transition to Ravensgate, John has suspended doing business as Calm and Chaos Leathercraft, but still makes the same quality and style of leather goods that fans of Calm and Chaos had come to expect.
Some of John’s interests and hobbies include reading, writing, playing and developing video games, sim racing, TTRPGs, and of course, spending time with his wife and their perfect dog Auri.
About Adrian
Adrian is a multimedia artist with a focus in body art and body adornment through tattoos, jewelry, and performative sculpture. His tattoos are often informed by his background in metalsmithing and incorporate traditional engravings and ornamental motifs. Adrian is a lifelong nerd and lover of all things dark and scary; in his free time he enjoys playing video games, sleeping, and cooking for his loved ones. He has pre-drawn designs and is available for custom work as well as walk-ins. You can book with him at any point by filling out a booking form found on his instagram or on the Ravensgate website.
Go check out their tattoo work at @adrianleomaldonado ✦
