Tattooist

Essay

March 7, 2023

Blastover, I Love You by @Pang.Ink

Profile

September 7, 2022

Melody Methakul (@methcakes)

Interview

August 31, 2021

Gender & Tattooing with Tamara Santibañez

Interview

May 21, 2020

Yutaro (@warriorism)

We check in with Japanese artist Yutaro (@warriorism) during London’s Covid 19 lockdown and talk about his current thoughts and feelings of the global pandemic on the tattoo industry and home life.

Interview

January 30, 2020

Mark Lonsdale (@lonsdaletattoo)

Having moved with his wife to Australia, Mark Lonsdale has worked in many notable shops in Sydney. His varied oeuvre, spanning blackwork and color, avoids stylistic niche.

Interview

January 24, 2020

Massimo Gurnari (@massimogurnari)

Massimo Gurnari’s bold etching works have developed slowly since he began tattooing in a  “private studio” in the corner of his house. Gurnari now works at DOA Tattoo Factory, set up by close friend Mirko Sata, as well as being a successful painter, amongst other things.

Interview

January 16, 2020

Johan Ulrich (@johantattoos)

Meet Johan Ulrich, a tattooist at Jack Browns Tattoo Revival, Virginia and toy designer. Here, Ed Crooks discusses with Johan the influences on his tattoo career and the journey to becoming a toy maker.

Documentary

December 23, 2019

TTTV Episode 1

TTTISM spoke to presenter of new show <i>TTTV</i>, Louie Jenkins, to find out some more about how the project came about and what his highlights are from Episode 1.

Interview

December 12, 2019

Stace Forand (@waterstreetphantom)

Heavily influenced by Japanese style, Stace Forand has developed a style that comes from a desire to strive for authenticity from deep within himself. Being self-taught, Forand discusses the importance of the close community around him, and the expanded horizons of other cultures and places.

Interview

December 5, 2019

Dan Sinnes (@dansin)

Interview

November 21, 2019

Jeroen Franken (@jeroenfranken)

Since first learning in the depths of the jungle in Borneo, Jeroen Franken has since owned several private studios and currently owns and works at Seven Seas Atelier with his wife Kim Anh.

Interview

November 19, 2019

Alina Ruda (@ruda_alina)

Member of tattoo collective Future Berlin, Alina Ruda was someone who was always drawing, before turning to tattooing. Ruda was disciplined in teaching herself, and her strikingly simple designs are at once fierce and humorous.

Interview

November 14, 2019

Rob Mopar (@rwmopar)

A widely traveled artist, Rob Mopar now owns and tattoos from Sacred Monkey Tattoo. From first being inspired by Navy tattoos, Mopar is now heavily influenced by Japanese style.

Bay Area Tattoo Convention

November 11, 2019

Bay Area Tattoo Convention 2019

As a proud sponsor, TTTISM is pleased to present a series of photos from the 2019 Bay Area Tattoo Convention.

Interview

November 7, 2019

Julim Rosa (@julimrosa)

Julim Rosa has spent most of her life moving around but has now settled in Berlin. Throughout her tattoo and contemporary art practice, Rosa has consistently questioned institution and convention.

Interview

November 1, 2019

Alba Rey (@inthenameofrey)

Seeking a different form of learning, Alba Rey travelled the world, developing her own style alongside experimentation with photography and painting with Indian ink.

Press Release

October 24, 2019

LadiesLadies! Art Show 2019

The LadiesLadies Art Show takes place on October 26th 2019 at Three Kings Tattoo NYC. This benefit fundraiser is the sixth instalment of the ground-breaking, female-only collective exhibit–showcasing art from international female tattooers. All proceeds from the night will be donated to Planned Parenthood NYC.

Profile

October 17, 2019

Raphael Voirol (@raf_vo)

Raphael Voirol is a tattoo collector who got his first tattoo, a dragon on his shoulder, on his 18th birthday. Voirol has now turned his own hand to tattooing and is grateful to be able to make the art he loves.

Profile

October 10, 2019

Gotch (@gotch_tattoo)

Self-taught tattoo artist Gotch grew up in the projects in Rousing, just south of Kyoto. He works in his own relaxed and private studio Harizanmai, and over his 20 years of tattooing has worked in Osaka and Paris.

Bay Area Tattoo Convention

October 7, 2019

Bay Area Tattoo Convention Retrospective

In anticipation of the 15th annual Bay Area Tattoo Convention, set to take place in late October of 2019, TTTISM highlights some of its articles on the convention to date.

Interview

September 30, 2019

Rita Salt

Rita Salt is a tattooer who struggled through a fear and disgust towards tattooing to become an artist who is boldly and playfully inspired by children’s drawings, and who values the tattooer–client interaction immensely.

Interview

September 5, 2019

Rob Noseworthy (@robnoseworthy)

Rob Noseworthy began tattooing under the guidance of Albert Caine in 2005, eventually tattooing full time in 2006. Noseworthy discusses the fine line between influence and copying, and the importance of encouraging a younger generation of tattooers to be original and experimental.

Interview

September 5, 2019

Simon Ban (@squids.ink)

Simon Ban grew up surrounded by a creative family and after finally transitioning to tattooing full time two and a half years ago, Ban has been developing a style that combines traditional rules and layouts with new patterns and exciting placements.

Interview

August 29, 2019

Grace Neutral (@graceneutral)

Grace Neutral owns Femme Fatale studio in east London. Neutral pays gratitude to the inspiring women, femmes, and queer people she continues to be surrounded by. She discusses her book, <i>NEUTRAL</i>, to be published by TTTISM in September 2019.

Interview

August 21, 2019

Virginia Elwood (@virginiaelwood)

Virginia Elwood is a tattooist, fine artist, and co-owner of Saved Tattoo with her wife Stephanie Tamez. Elwood discusses her optimism towards the increasing accessibility and diversity of the tattoo world, which herself and her community champions at Saved Tattoo.

Interview

August 19, 2019

Saint Molotov

Saint Molotov discusses his latest zine project <i>Welcome 2 Paradise</i>, how he found his roots in tattoo culture through the support of his tattooer friends, and the influence of mysticism and occultism on his work.

Interview

August 15, 2019

Arminas Stanulevičius

Arminas Stanulevičius developed a skill for sharp lines during his time as an interior designer. Inspired by the darkness in the world, as well as his extensive travels, he’s an artist that utilizes both traditional and digital media in his work.

New Releases

August 4, 2019

Ed Hardy: Deeper Than Skin at the de Young Museum

Ed Hardy: Deeper Than Skin is an exhibition curated by the de Young Museum in San Francisco, California. The exhibition promises to be a monument to the history of tattooing and runs from July 13th to October 6th.

Tattooist

July 18, 2019

21×29.7

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.

Archive

July 9, 2019

Archive: Gakkin (@gakkinx) for TTTism Issue 3

This interview with Gakkin is excerpted from TTTism Issue 3.

Interview

July 8, 2019

Ryan Mettz (@ryanmettz)

We speak with Ryan Mettz, a Brooklyn-based tattooer working out of Greenpoint Tattoo Co.. Mettz’s clients come to him for his tasteful style, and leave with pieces that combine traditional aesthetics with modern imagery.

Interview

July 3, 2019

Nico Jacoby (@nicobone_)

Nico Jacoby’s take his highly conceptual blackwork tattoos around the world. It is clear to see strong influences from architecture and structural forms in the subversive mirroring of many of his designs,

Interview

June 26, 2019

Pride: Part 3

TTTism continues to champion the LGBTQ+ community, acknowledging the steps that have been taken towards inclusivity, and highlighting the distance we still need to go to ensure the safety of all members of the tattoo community.

Interview

June 26, 2019

Pride: Part 2

TTTism continues to celebrate the presence of the LGBTQ+ community, and recognise the hard work that still needs to be done to ensure anyone, no matter their identity, feels safe and empowered within the global tattoo community.

Interview

June 26, 2019

Pride: Part 1 (Queer Bod Mod Compass)

TTTism reached out to artists and studios to hear what the shape of the tattoo world is for LGBTQ+ people, and how they are remolding it. The first feature explores Queer Bod Mod Compass, launched by tattooist and studio manager Guik.

Interview

June 24, 2019

Clemens Hahn (@clemens_hahn)

Clemens Hahn is tattooist and shop owner at Truly Yours Tattoo in Mannheim, Germany. Hahn offers contemporary subject matter done in a traditional aesthetic.

Interview

June 20, 2019

Josh Stephens (@joshstephenstattoos)

Josh Stephens began his tattoo career building a strong foundation in an American Traditional style. Heavily inspired by music, contemporary art, and David Lynch, Stephens remains grateful for opportunities that break him out of his comfort zone.

Interview

June 19, 2019

Seyoon Kim (@sey8n)

Seyoon Kim speaks passionately about the hope she has for change in the tattoo culture of South Korea. Her joyful, cleanly executed tattoos bury into her clients’ stories, and are in stark contrast to the subversive portrayal of tattoos which is still dominant in her native country.

Archive

June 18, 2019

Archive: Rich Hardy (@rich_hardy) for TTTism Issue 2

An archived interview with tattooist Rich Hardy excerpted from TTTism Issue 2.

Interview

June 18, 2019

Madeleine Love (@mad_louie)

Madeleine Love began drawing from a young age, enamored with the possibilities of the natural world. Approaching her work with curiosity and playfulness, her tattoos are powerfully colored and gracefully executed.

Interview

June 17, 2019

Adam F (@iron.glacier)

Adam F is fairly new to the tattoo scene, tattooing for just over a year following a period more focused on his career as a fine artist. Moving into a new, expansive media, his CMYK color separations and vivid tattoos are distinctive and assured.

Interview

June 17, 2019

Denis (@dsmt)

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.

Interview

June 13, 2019

Oliver Bach (@oliver_bach_)

An artist drawn primarily to flash for its spontaneity and immediate gratification, Oliver Bach’s traditional style stems from years spent observing and then tattooing old guys at Duke St. Tattoo.

Interview

June 10, 2019

Herman IX (@gera_ix)

Herman IX’s tattoo practice is strongly rooted in his Russian heritage, often taking influences from his childhood. Herman developed a self-taught style, often featuring animals in unexpected positions and a shading style that resonates with traditional etchings.

Archive

June 4, 2019

Archive: Gerhard Wiesbeck (@gerhardwiesbeck) for TTTism Issue 2

This interview with tattooist Gerhard Wiesbeck is excerpted from TTTism Issue 2.

Interview

June 4, 2019

Martin Jahn (_martinjahn)

Martin Jahn has developed his skills by working at some of the best tattoo studios around the world. His tattoos are both striking and poetic, as he draws influence from both nature and architecture, harmonizing this dichotomy.

Interview

May 29, 2019

Spider (@spiderxdeath)

Spider is a tattooist based in Melbourne, Australia. His no-nonsense style is rooted in American Trad, amalgamated with influences from his wide-ranging travels and heavily laced with punk references.

Interview

May 27, 2019

Aron Dubois (@aronjohndubois)

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.

Interview

May 27, 2019

Michelle Wanhala (@mwanhala)

Michelle Wanhala works in Chicago, driven by the achievement of fulfilling her goal to make a living as an artist. Influenced by references from comic books to retro décor, Wanhala’s art also encompasses a multitude of media including sculpture, embroidery, and painting.

Interview

May 20, 2019

Tiago De Oliveira (@dongekotattooer)

We interview Porto-based tattooist Tiago de Oliveira, who works at and co-owns Heavy Handers Tattoo. De Oliveira’s work offers a compelling take on all things traditional, a consistent body of figural tattoos that maintain a penchant for realism.

Interview

May 16, 2019

James Tran (@visualamor)

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.