Minimalism

Parisian tattooist Joh (@21×29.7) tells TTTism about his self-taught beginnings as a tattooer. Now running a successful private studio some five years later, Joh is known for his experimental approach to (otherwise) iconic imagery.

Denis is a Ukrainian tattooist based in Kiev. He works in a strong graphical style, utilizing imagery adopted from cyberpunk and other dystopian aesthetics. In this interview, Denis tells us how he went from law school to a career in tattooing and more.

We interview Los Angeles-based tattooist Aron Dubois, whose work combines folk art iconographies and elements of abstraction. Dubois describes his start as a tattooist as well as the impact that literature and philosophy have on his practice.

James Tran is a San Diego-based tattooist who currently works at Full Circle Tattoo. He specializes in pieces incorporating dotwork and combines multiple illustrative styles.

We interview Sebastian Kandinsky, a French-born tattooist whose work updates traditional iconography through an innovative use of negative space and bi-color stippling.

We interview Ukraine-born Andrei Ylita about his stark, graphical style. While an increasing number of tattooists come to the craft from a background in graphic design, Ylita remains both a practicing tattooist and a working graphic designer–an interesting combination that informs the punctuative quality of his work.

We interview Kane Navasard about his compelling oeuvre of fine line black and gray tattoos. Navasard’s practice appends eccentric motifs to masterfully executed and placed pieces.

In this interview, tattooist Tessa El Maleh tells us about her start as an apprentice in New York City, her abiding interest in art criticism and practice, and her desires for the future of tattooing.

John Ola details his motivation behind the raw but no less ornamental tattoo collection he has been acquiring for some time. Formalized by him as an art project, Ola lets his unshaded text and symbolism “speak for itself.”