He has been a graffiti artist since 1999 under the name of “Ninne.” Nineteen years later he is still using a similar name but now as a tattooist, having started working in the tattoo industry in 2015. “I decided to become a tattooist because I believe it is a form of art that is more […]
Tag: Black Ink Tattoos
The Amazing Bodysuit: Tattooing by Black Symmetry
Tattoo artist Black Symmetry (aka Lewisink) is known for being in his Paris studio all year round and rarely does event appearances, so we were lucky he was coming to the London Tattoo Convention to finish a bodysuit on his client e.r_i_c from Switzerland. Prior to the event, Black Symmetry worked 200 hours (divided in […]
Mimicking the Flow of Nature: Tattoos by Sanne Vaghi
Having studied fine art and illustration (and specializing in photographic etching) at the Rotterdam Academy, it was only after Sanne Vaghi’s graduation in 2008 that she decided to focus on tattooing. “It has been a long difficult road,” she comments. Now based in Berlin; her work in the last few years has evolved into something […]
Pain and Love: The Tattoo Designs of Yashka Steiner
Swiss-based, second-generation tattooist Yashka Steiner has worked as a graphic designer for over twenty years, now less in the field and more focused on body art. “I don’t use a pen, I work against the machine,” states Steiner, who works similarly to former chess player Garry Kasparov—against the computer, meticulously thinking of every move, every […]
Update from Postminimalist Tattoo Artist Okan Uckun
We featured the work of Okan Uckun in the past, but in the years since he has continued to create gorgeous tattoos. Formerly based in Turkey, he now works out of Bang Bang Tattoo in NYC. Minimalist tattoos seem to be all the rage at the moment (for example, see here), but Uckun distinguishes his […]
Beautifully Bold: The Tattoo Art of Effedots
Clients traveling from Canada, Malta, Israel and beyond come to Italy to get tattooed by Effedots—spending two to five days getting their skin decorated and patterned. In 2016 the artist’s work was known for its red-and-black pigment combinations but now strictly in primitive black; bold and beautiful with a mix of solid (blackout) designs and […]
Heavy Blackwork: Tattoos by 3kreuze
As tattooing continues in the mainstream, not all clients are thrilled with their old colored tattoos and are looking for something fresh on their bodies. One way to resolve this is to do “blastovers,” i.e. overlapping parts of the old design with new ink, like the example shown below (photo 6) by 3kreuze—a German-based tattooist […]
Mortality and Sacred Snakes in the Dark Tattoo Art of Joao Bosco
Joao Bosco is a tattoo artist currently dividing his time between Los Angeles and London. He is recognized for his dark fantasy imagery influenced by both Japanese and American tattoo traditions. Featured here is a selection of his incredible snake tattoos, which are fuelled by his connection to the animal’s sacred symbolism. He is also […]
Tattooing is Meditative: Interview with Mo Ganji
We met up with world-renowned tattooist, Mo Ganji, in his private studio in Berlin. At the door we’re greeted by his loving dog Cleo (short for Cleopatra), who was sleeping during most of the interview. Before starting, we were excited to understand why the artist does not tattoo at conventions, and what it was like […]
Delicate Bodies Overcome with Blooms by Phoebe Hunter
When Phoebe Hunter was about 10 years old, she accompanied her brother as he got tattooed. There, she saw “how cool tattoos were” and was interested in the practice. It wouldn’t be until many years later—and studies in veterinary and psychology—that she became an apprentice at Seventh Day Studio in Auckland. Delicate lines and surreal […]