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 […]
Category: Horror
The Weird and Endearing Darkheads of Agatha Schnip’s Tattoo Art
Agatha Schnips is a Berlin-based tattoo artist and the creator of “darkheads”: a creature she dreamt up about a year ago after being inspired by the atmospheres of horror- and dark-fantasy-based video games (“Dark Souls 3” and “Bloodborne” were cited as examples). Schnips told Scene360: “While being inspired with this weird but great beauty [of […]
Creepy-Crawly Hybrids in the Dark Tattoos of Jeanchoir
Jeanchoir is a Marseille-based tattoo artist and the founder of Sombre Tache (in English: Dark Spot) tattoo studio. As the name suggests, this is indeed the place for dark and unusual ink; occultism meets Giger-esque aliens in Jeanchoir’s unholy tattoos, birthing the kinds of creatures you’d only expect to find in the forests of distant […]
10 Visually Stunning Cosmic Horror Films
In regards to the fear of the unknowable, there is no writer more influential today than H.P. Lovecraft. His stories saw humankind come into contact with beings older than time: sinister masses of tentacles whose very existence could drive someone completely mad. This was the birth of “cosmic horror”—that is, horror rooted in the idea […]
Suburban Occult: Joseph Haxan’s Twisted, Euphoric Photography
Welcome to the dark world of Joseph Haxan, a bizarre place where suburbia meets the occult in scenes of bacchanal-style rapture and pure absurdity (with subtle tones of eros). Hordes of nude male bodies congregate in late-night fields and construction sites, averting their faces to avoid the subjectifying gaze of the camera; the only time […]
Sacrifice and Sanctity: Blood Paintings by Vincent Castiglia
Vincent Castiglia is a renowned New York–based artist who paints large-scale portraits using blood. He began this project in 2000, shortly before he began as a tattoo artist. His work has been recognized worldwide, attracting attention and accolades from Slayer’s Gary Holt, comedian Margaret Cho, and the late H. R. Giger, who in 2008, invited […]
Stillness After Death: Contemplative Paintings by Eric Lacombe
The subjects of Eric Lacombe’s expressionistic paintings are neither living nor dead; they are floating between worlds, their processes of decay momentarily paused so we can witness the transformation of consciousness into the unknown. His subjects appear melancholic, the storm of terror and agony having recently passed. “Imagine the very moment before death, when life […]
Mind-Melting Dark Art by Dusty Ray
Dusty Ray makes art for “strange but discerning” people who enjoy “a touch of weird in their life”—and you’ll very quickly see this is true. Working mostly in gouache, watercolor, and Micron pens, he brings to life surreal mutant beasts. Wolves, bears, and other North American animals (as well as the odd human) are unveiled […]
Shadows and Symbols: Haunting Paintings by Nick Morte
Nick Morte is a painter, illustrator, and award-winning tattoo artist. His unique style is consistent across his mediums, mixing photorealism with dark symbols and hallucinatory elements. Featured here is a selection of his paintings, all of which are surrounded by an air of mystery. Death, sensuality, and vulnerability occur interchangeably in the same image, signified […]
Mysterious, Occult-Themed Embroidery by Adipocere
Adipocere is the alias of a Melbourne-based artist who makes occult-themed embroideries on linen (and sometimes his own hand). Black cats, oversized spiders, wise skeletons, and disemboweled maidens are some of his recurring characters, all stitched in a minimalist color palette. Death and darkness pervade his work (the word “adipocere” itself refers to a waxy […]