Boyfriend (28M) is upset about me (25F) getting an Indigenous face tattoo for my culture.

I will try and keep this as short as possible, I (25 F) have been dating Matthew (28M fake name) for about 2 years. We have been living together for about a year now. We have our ups and downs but overall the relationship is good and I think Matthew is my person that I could spend my life with. I am a Tattoo artist at a very well known shop in our city, and I’m also indigenous. (Matthew is not indigenous) I have a lot of tattoos, and plan to get more. Matthew has none at all, and no one in his family have any. They don’t hate tattoos or me, I have a great relationship with all his family members. But a lot of people in his family and Matthew don’t really understand tattoos or why people get them. For the last few years, I have really been wanting to get a face tattoo, a chin line, for my culture. It’s something that a decent amount of younger indigenous people are doing to take back their culture. It’s a big spiritual decision. My sister also wants to get one. I have wanted to get this since I was around 14 years old, and have been seriously considering it even before I met Matthew. (People in my family have a decent amount of tattoos) This tattoo would be a very thin, grey line that does not attract a LOT of attention or be super bold, but of course people will still see it. Early in the relationship I told Matthew that I will continue getting tattoos, and I will eventually tattoo my face. I said this a few times because I really wanted him to make sure he knew what type of person I was. Since our relationship began I have gotten a few smaller tattoos, but I got an entire back-piece done at the beginning of this year by a coworker, something I have been wanting for a long time. It’s a giant mandala design that goes up onto the back of my neck. Matthew took it pretty hard. He continually said he didn’t want my body to change anymore, he said it was disorienting to have your partner constantly changing. He said he didn’t understand why I would want to do it. But now, months later, he says he actually likes it. I brought up the face tattoo a few months ago to him. I wanted to get it for my birthday which is coming up soon. He reacted very badly to the idea and was very very upset I wanted to change my face. He said that he will no longer be attracted to me. He said he hates that I keep getting more and more tattoos. I tried to explain the cultural significance and how this is a super important spiritual decision that I have been mulling over for years and the time feels right. I brought up how I did mention it at the beginning of our relationship and his response was “well, yes you did. But At the beginning of a relationship people are just getting to know each other and I didn’t really take it that seriously when you said it” I brought it up again a few days ago because my birthday is coming up, and Matthew is still very upset at the idea. He says he doesn’t know what he’ll do when I get it, and is worried that he will not be able to look at my face anymore. He compares it to “drawing art on a sculpture”.

I don’t know what to do. People in my family, my friends, my coworkers, they’re all for it and support me. But Matthew is so, so upset.

For the record, a face tattoo will not effect my job or honestly anything in my life. It’s very common to have your face tattooed in my industry, and a lot of people in my city have similar face tattoos. Matthew is not concerned about this either. His main concern is that he won’t find me attractive anymore.

I am torn between doing what feels right for me, and respecting my partners wishes. If Matthew and I were not together, I for sure would have this tattoo already. He is the only thing holding me back. I totally understand his opinion and see where he is coming from. It’s why I tried to be so up front about it at the beginning of the relationship. I am hoping that if I get it, he will get used to it eventually like all my other tattoos.

Most of my friends and family have told me that I should just get it and if Matthew can’t live with it, I shouldn’t want a partner like that anyways. I know that if I don’t get it now, I will still want it in the future. It’s going to happen eventually. I am just very torn about what to do because I really love Matthew.

Editing for adding: TLDR: I am an indigenous tattoo artist who wants to get a cultural face tattoo, and my boyfriend (not indigenous and no tattoos) is very upset and doesn’t want me to do it.