El Nigro is the pseudonym of a tattoo artist currently working out of the Family Addiction Tattoo Shop in Naples, Italy. Specializing in blackwork, El Nigro gives rise to a moody gothic world; old architecture, dark-eyed women, and birds are central to his repertoire, bringing to mind the literary imaginations of Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley. Despite the absence of the sun, a sense of sensuality and charm lurks in the shadows. By stylizing his tattoos with creeping branches, brooding skies, and mangled roots, El Nigro brilliantly generates a feeling of antique folk horror that crawls (literally) under the skin.
Images © Marco (El Nigro)