Dorien Rose Duinker is a very versatile woman. Confronting as well for people who don’t know her well. But the people who take the afford to learn and understand her will discover a world of talent, passion and live joy. And all that you can read in her tattoos. One of her biggest passions in life.

“I did my first tattoo when I was 16, “ the model begins. You might say I have an addiction now 9 years later. I have the urge to immortalize all the high and down points in my life on my body. They all have a deep meaning for me. I created, draw and sketched every one myself and that way they all go with the flow and lines of my body.”

Most people with tattoos claim to have thought about it and that they have a meaning. But Dorien Rose didn’t online think about it for a couple of seconds. She put her heart and soul in every single drop ink on her body. She can’t quickly explain what they mean. It’s a life work and story. A body full of symbolism.

“My first tattoo was a Scorpio because it’s my sign. Later I thought it was to simple and processed. Out of a book. That’s why I had it covered with roses. Also the little tribal rose on my back I expanded. Didn’t know then that it would be more and more and now it’s the story of my life so far. They are connected to each other and my vision.”

“On my right hand and arm I have a Thai Buddha in a temple. The symbols of the temple stand for infinity. I believe in life after death and reincarnation”, the spiritual Dorien Rose continues. “Karma is Buddha’s conviction and I translated in my favourite quote: ‘What goes around comes back around’. The letter type is Thai style. I chose to do it in English so people could read it. The ’lucky’ Buddha my sister gave to me for my 25th birthday in Bali. It looks like my grandpa, a very wise man and my personal inspiration.”

“In 2008 my uncle Allard committed suicide and that had a deep impact on me. He used to make quote with his own name and drew the Ying Yang symbol a lot. For him I designed this one for my left wrist when I was going threw his sketches when he died. It’s a Ying Yang symbol with around it in Chinese: ‘Love is All, All is Love’. Pronounced asOischimbow Soioesio. Love is the most important thing in the World to pursue real happiness. Ying Yang stands for opposites like love and hate, water and fire, sun and moon, black and white, good and evil. It’s important to keep all that in balance and don’t lean towards the negative to much. This tattoo is also a sun that symbolises warmth and light and the way I’ll remember for ever. His ashes are in the ink as well so I’ll always keep him with me. ”

“The eye below my neck is my sister Nadia’s eye. She has mine on the same place as well. It’s like ‘We watch each others back forever’, is the thought behind that one. I came up with the idea when I was stoned in the shower and she was doing her make up in the bathroom”, explains the Haarlem girl that has a deep relation with her sister.

Happy she continues her story. When she talks you hear the passion in her voice for tattoo. “On my right foot I have 13 Indian symbols with all their own meaning to them. I chose them because of my superstition and strive after in life.’’ Without hassle she names the meanings: “Butterfly is for everlasting life, horse for journey, stars for guidance, sun for happiness, arrows for warding evil spirits, feather for healing powers, bird for carefree life, snake for wisdom, jaw of snake for strength, thunderbird for bright prospects, arrow&feather for peace, and the different arrows for friendship and protection, sun for happiness.” That’s a whole bunch and it’s clear that she thought about them deeply in to the detail.

“In traditional Balinese I have 2008 as in the- dua ribu delapan - “Two thousand eight” on my right upper arm. I did it for my birthday when I was in Bali. The year I reached 25, my mom 50 (we celebrated her birthday in Bali too) and my uncle died and would have reached 50. A year of mile-stones. High highs and low lows”, the Playmate continues. “When I used to live in Hong Kong we had a lot of vacations in Bali. My father has built some houses there he rents out. I had this tattoo made in Sanur, the place my uncle was a year earlier.” Another tattoo with deep meaning which is distinctive for the art on Dorien Rose’s body.

“The tattoo from my ‘cross’ area to my waist, to my back, down to my ass is one whole piece of work. This one is for everyone I love(d). Three butterflies for my sister, me and the love of my life. Who that’s gonna be is to be seen but they stand for free spirits and open minds. On my back I have three roses for my mom, dad and sister. Roses because of my name and it’s my favourite flower. I was named after my aunt who also ended her life a long time ago. The year before I was born. The three roses from my ‘cross’ area to my waist represents the growth in my life. One is closed, the other half open and the one down there is in bloom (that’s the one that covered the Scorpio). The thorns on all the branches stand for all the animals I lost. I used to live on farm and that’s why it’s so many. The 7 stars are for the people I lost. Stars because since I was little I looked to the sky at night and imagined the brightest stars to be my late family members watching over me. I wanna add some more smaller ones that represent the rest of the star system.”

“On my spine I have the ‘Tibetan wisdom symbol’. It’s kind of like the Thai Temple symbols and says: Threw all your lifes you grow wiser and when you reached the ultimate wisdom after learning from your past you will reach ‘Heaven’. Which is the best place you can imagine. Only bright and happy things and love surrounding you. This tattoo will grow with me as well because there are always things happening in my life that I feel the need to carry with”, the actrice say’s dreamy.



The picture is painted clear: Dorien Rose wrights a tattoo autobiography on her body. All stages, her people, and animals she wants to keep close to her. A never-ending story, written by the ink of tattoo artists and meaningful and understood by the people close to the life of Dorien Rose. The people who understand and know her probably will find themselves on her body as a piece of art if they’re not there already…



For the pictures of her tattoos: Click here!