Born in Russia in 1989, Ilya Kuznetsov worked at an Italian fabric store after earning a degree in costume design from Smolensk State University. A tattoo artist friend urged him to use his drawing skills in the tattoo industry as he barely made ends meet. Self-taught in this new discipline, Kuznetsov began taking tattooing more […]
Tag: Eastern Europe
Tattoo Love: Photography by Kaja Gwincinska
Known for her photographic work of “Faces of the Future”(curated by Hanumantra), Polish-Brit Kaja Gwincinska has focused on capturing the essence of tattooed people through her lens. In this photoshoot, she depicts the NR Studio tattooist Offline, and says, “Paul [Offline], has a kind and loving nature, and balanced approach to life.” Some of these […]
Yanina Viland: Painting, Tattooing and Creating Positive Experiences
We met up with tattoo artist Yanina Viland in her new private studio in Lisbon, Portugal, located in the traditional part of the city that overlooks the Tagus river. She smiled, showing us her balcony—the outdoor space where she spends time just chilling and collecting thoughts. Her dog BB King, a friendly mutt she adopted […]
Living the Dream: Tattooist and World Traveler Ivana Belakova
Leaving her native Slovakia in 2000, Ivana Belakova’s dream was to travel and see what was beyond her country’s borders. Establishing her tattoo business in Long Beach (California) for the last nine years, she has worked hard to make a name for herself in the tattoo industry. In addition to being a recognized tattoo artist, […]
The Abstract Tattoos of Artem Koro
What some readers may not know is that Artem Koro was born in Siberia, Russia, moving to Israel when he was eight years old. The old city of Tel Aviv has been become his work place and home. It is a “cultural capital” abundant of the arts and history that has been a primary source […]
Imrich Kovács’ Dadaistic Attitude is Expressed in His Tattoo Art
Tattooing really started for Imrich Kovács in the fall of 2011, when he inked his own body. Self-taught and struggling for years to learn this challenging trade through trial-and-error on clients and getting tips here and there, he kept at it and pushed forward trying to one day excel in the field. Traveling abroad helped […]
Grace and Survival: The Beautiful Photography of Marta Syrko
Well-known for her fine art, fashion and beauty imagery, Marta Syrko began working professionally as a photographer at the age of 16. Gorgeous lighting, motion, and colors are traits in her refined work. Often using a Canon 5d Mark IV, she states that “it is necessary to create a high quality picture, but it’s not […]
Graffiti Bombed Faces: Tattoos by Mashkow
Looking at the portfolio of Russia’s Mashkow is like a flashback to 90s graffiti in New York City. Instead of walls and subways being bombed, it is his tattoo designs of female faces. They’re composed in an emotional and beautiful way—colors, textures, lettering … showing distinctly how skillful Mashkow is. And for the veracity of […]
Geometric Tattoos: An Update from Stanislaw Wilczynski
Former IT tech now tattooist for the last five years, Stanislaw Wilczynski (aka digimatism) is all about producing clean-looking geometric compositions that are inspired by “abstract expressionism, minimalism, suprematism, constructive architecture and techno music.” Often geometric forms and lines are the hardest to tattoo, as they require great technical skill to get the ink straight […]
Finding Harmony: Tattoos by Mariusz Trubisz
Wroclaw-based tattoo artist Mariusz Trubisz fuses several visual styles into a single tattoo. Delicate portraits are paired with bold colors and shapes, and the juxtaposition speaks to the larger concepts surrounding his work. “The basic idea behind my tattoo design is the symbiosis of human and mother nature,” he tells me. “I feel like these […]