Rupturing the Norm: Empowering Tattoos by Disinhibition

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - hand with rose tattoo

Disinhibition (a.k.a., Adam Traves) is a Melbourne-based self-taught queer tattoo artist exploring identity and empowerment. He was one of our “10 Tattooers to Look Out for in 2017,” and rightfully so: not only is his style eye-grabbing with its playful distortions and pink-and-red designs, but it celebrates queer identity. Whether he’s tattooing gay erotica, amorous Greek deities, or glitched-out classical sculptures, his art is an active form of resistance, disrupting heteronormative traditions of representation in order to proudly express his clients’ own identities. As he explains, not only does a tattoo express who you are, but “it’s also a visible symbol to the world that you are who you are and you don’t give a fuck.” Follow Disinhibition on Instagram.

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - bull man tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - exploding head tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - Greek god tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - kink tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - queer kiss tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - classical sculpture grid tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - face melt tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - queer torso tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - split face tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - abstract classical sculpture tattoo

Adam Traves, Disinhibition - classical sculpture grid tattoo 2

Images © Disinhibition (Adam Traves)