Tag: Tattoo artist

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Catching up with tattoo artist Mimi-Sama

When we first spoke to Anna “Mimi-Sama” back in 2018 she was a travelling tattooer beginning to specialise in manga tattoos. Since then she’s settled at Black Serum Tattoo in San Francisco and has become even more sought after for her blackwork and manga style. We caught up with Anna to chat all things tattooing the pandemic and what’s changed in the past four years…

When we last spoke to you you were a travelling artist has this changed? Indeed, it has changed as I settled in San Francisco in July last year. Before that I was in Montreal for just over a year. Of course, the pandemic had a big influence on me as travelling has been very complicated. So I took this opportunity to settle and find new exciting work opportunities. Later in 2022 I will travel again within the US as I’ll be at lots of conventions and guest spots.

What was it about the city that made you want to settle there? I chose San Francisco for several reasons. Firstly I met Brucius Xylander, the owner of Black Serum Tattoo a few years ago. I really liked his way of thinking and I loved the shop he had built. The second reason is the city itself. It’s a vibrant and cultural city, where a lot of our modern era changes come from. The weather is great, the people are nice and the city and surroundings are beautiful.

What’s the studio like? The studio is bigger than when I visited it a few years ago, but it has kept the art at the heart of everything. Brucius keeps his place entertaining and inspiring for the people who visit it with an array of art and craft objects. But what I really like the most is the opportunity I have to meet great artists from everywhere. Every month, we have artists from Asia, Europe and other places in the US visiting us, it’s a wonderful place of artistic exchanges.

While you were still a travelling artist was there a place that stood out to you? I worked for almost a year in Tokyo in 2019 in the Ichi Tattoo studio. Living and working there has definitely had a big influence on me. I was thrilled that I got to live amongst Japanese pop culture and it gave me more confidence about my own style and art. It was a special time in my life and for my family who were there with me.

Tattooers and tattoos aren’t very welcome in Japanese society, so I was very lucky to have the chance to tattoo there in one of the best shops in the city. It was definitely helped me to develop my technique and art.

How has the pandemic affected you? How have you found the lockdowns, did that have an affect on your creativity? Yes, of course, it’s had an impact on my work. First of all, I had a lot of tattoo conventions planned. When they were cancelled it was a huge financial loss as the reimbursement has been very difficult. We have to be empathetic though as everyone has suffered, but yeah it has been quite difficult at times. In addition, the studio I was working at had to close for several months. But, I don’t want to complain as it was the same for everyone! 

When it comes to my creativity, I think it was positive in the end. I am a workaholic and I don’t take as much time as I would like to for other things beside tattooing. So the lockdowns were a good opportunity to spend more time with my family, do more research about Japanese art (my biggest inspiration) and of course read mangas and watch anime!

Since we last chatted has your style changed? Would you say you’ve grown as an artist? Yes I do! Having a change of environment and perhaps moving a little bit less made me focus more on my technique. I can say that I have reached a higher level in terms of blackwork techniques, such as whipping and dotting. I have really progressed in the use of different textures and the management of light contrast.

Also I changed some of the tools I work with (my machine and needles) and I am now able to work with thinner needles with a great effect, even after healing (like in this Totoro tattoo).

You’re known for your manga tattoos, is there any character or film you haven’t tattooed yet and would like to? I would like to do some Gunnm tattoo projects. It is the manga that I started with as a teenager and I haven’t had the opportunity to tattoo it yet. But I am quite happy about the diversity of projects that I have, even if I would love to tattoo more of Dorohedoro manga, as it is a good match with my style!

Do you see yourself moving away from this style? Does it still excite you? It still excites me for sure. I am trying to put more of my own style into my creations. That’s why I came up with my concept of Mangala which is mix of manga and mandala. I really like the graphic blackwork and I really want to pursue this style alongside my love of manga. I really believe it’s a great combination and makes for unique tattoo pieces.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos: when did you get your first one, do you still love it and do you have a favourite tattoo? Similar to lots of other tattooers, my first one is far from being my best. But I still love it as it is a part of my personal journey. My favourite one is a rabbit made by one of my great friends Mademoiselle Hirondelle.

This tattoo tells a very personal story and she took the time to listen and draw something that incorporates that. The whole process has been very cathartic for me and it’s definitely an important moment in my life and on my skin.

With that tattoo in mind do you think all tattoos have to have meaning? Not at all! Just get a tattoo because it is fun! When you try to put too much emotion and meaning behind a tattoo, it can easily fade away before the tattoo itself! Of course, it’s not always the case, but I see it happen from time to time. In life and in my work I like to keep positive and fun, so I always advise people to have a positive feeling when it comes to their tattoo project.

We spoke before about motherhood and tattooing, what does your little one think of your job and tattoos? She is 4 years old now, but I don’t think she sees my work differently from other people’s work. For her, the main thing is mommy leaves in the morning and comes back in the evening.

She may be more interested in the temporary tattoos you find in candies than other kids but that’s it! She had a phase where she liked to draw on herself but it passed.

Make sure to follow Mimi-Sama on Instagram for more manga and blackwork tattoos.

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Interview with Maksim Twenty Eight

Tattoo artist Maksim Twenty Eight of Gangstas Paradise Tattoo in Moscow, Russia tells us about his journey to become a tattooer and artist, how he strives to keep developing his craft and the ornament-inspired tattoos he creates…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? How did you become an artist? I’ve always loved tattoos and at school I became interested in heavy music and rock culture, which only increased my interest in tattooing. Back then I couldn’t imagine that tattooing would occupy such an important place in my life and become my main occupation.

Initially, I showed a great interest in music and dreamed of connecting my life to it. But I’ve always drawn and done art. It just so happened that in the end I received an art and pedagogical education in the speciality – Teacher of Fine Arts. Since then, drawing has taken up most of my time.

At the age of 18, I started getting tattooed in one of my hometown’s tattoo studios. At the time I was already getting an art education and somehow everything coincided so much so that my tattoo artist invited me to start working in his studio. And of course I agreed. It was in that studio that I learnt the basics of tattooing and began my journey.

Have you always tattooed like you do now? I have been tattooing for 11 years and I’m always in search of interesting solutions and new ideas for my work. During my career, I have worked in many artistic styles which has allowed me to gather enough knowledge and experience to develop my handwriting. It’s helped me find a balance between technical and artistic moments in my work.

Now my works are mainly Baroque floral ornaments and stylised realistic objects with the addition of ornaments and various details. These range from all sorts of realistic objects and lettering to cartoon characters and elements of street art culture.

What attracted you to this type of tattooing? It’s the perfect style for my mindset as it allows me to be creative in my work and be free, even within the limits set by my client. Very often, or rather almost always, I allow myself to go beyond these limits when creating a design. I am very glad that there have been no refusals and customers are always pleasantly surprised by what they see. This allows me to work with pleasure, which is very important when creating a good tattoo. 

I love the details! My perseverance helps me to give them a lot of attention. And I see that people like that. I think that sets me apart. 

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattoos? During the first conversation at the consultation, I try to get as much information as possible about how the client sees their tattoo. It helps me understand which direction to take the tattoo and what will suit this person best. If a person wants a certain object, but in my style, I just need to determine the list of details that are possible in the design. Some details I offer myself or add in when I create the design.

Most of the time I scroll through all the projects in my head, looking for new interesting options. This process is very important to me, because it means my brain is constantly working and processing. I develop the design the day before the session, my clients don’t see the design until the moment of the session. This usually adds a little intrigue and excitement – I love seeing their first reaction!

What inspires you? I am very inspired by music! It takes up quite a large part of my life. I create music in my spare time as it helps to relax my brain. I also love to watch detective thrillers – my love of observation and detail works here too. In general, I have a lot of sources for inspiration ranging from a simple smile to grandiose films and events.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more? Most of all I’m interested in Baroque floral ornaments and combining them with various objects and elements of street art culture. In ornaments and street art there is a certain and very strong atmosphere. They’re completely different, but saying that they do have something in common. The ornaments and street art are both part of the exterior and interior and I’m very interested to see where mixing them will lead.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I have a lot of tattoos and they all appear on my skin often spontaneously. I never had the goal of tattooing my entire body, but over the years I’ve met many different and very interesting masters and received tattoos from them – as a sign of respect for their work. All my tattoos are like a part of my memory and I think it’s beautiful. I think I can call myself a tattoo collector. 

What is the tattoo scene like where you are? In Russia, modern tattooing, relative to tattooing in Europe or America, began its journey relatively recently. But in a fairly short time gained momentum and gave the world of tattooing a lot of big names. The growing interest in this craft among artists contributed to the rapid growth of the industry in Russia. Tattoo conventions in Russia are held at a very high level too.

It seems to me that the presence of modern and safe technologies as well as strong masters is only half of what is needed for tattooers to develop creatively. The other half being the mentality of the society in which an artist lives. Often new customers talk to me about the fear of accepting something new or something they’ve seen online. This fear of can hinder my development as an artist. To counteract this I’ve travelled a lot to help me develop creatively and communicate with other tattooists from other countries.

Have you got any plans for future tattoo conventions? In the past few years, it has been psychologically difficult for me to tattoo at large events, as my work requires a lot of attention to detail and focus. Tattooing at conventions can affect the quality of my work. That’s why I try to exhibit already existing projects, and devote time at conventions to communicating and demonstrating my work on canvases only.

Do you have any future projects you want to share with us? Currently, I try to devote a lot of time to painting and creating new concepts for myself. I also plan to participate in various exhibitions, including a personal one.

In the last year I have become very interested in graffiti which allows me more of an understanding and way to develop my drawing and tattooing. The attention I receive is very motivating and pushes me to create even more complex and interesting works.

Can you tell us about your own art exhibition? As I said, in addition to tattoos, I spend a lot of time drawing. In my spare time, I paint canvases, experiment with various techniques and materials. I try in every possible way to expand the range of my skills and abilities. 

At the Moscow Tattoo Convention 2021, I presented a series of my experimental canvases and art objects. All works from the exhibition are made in colour, which is rarely present in my work. On these canvases, I tried to show my vision of the problems of a modern person who tries in every way to hide from himself in pursuit of illusions, which leads to negative consequences.

I care about and want to show in my art similar topics, such as loneliness and depression. Unfortunately, there is a lot of this around us, but some do not see it, while others hide it. With my creativity, I want to show that if you listen to yourself, look a little further than you usually would and stop being afraid to accept this world, you can solve many problems and achieve a lot.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? I think for me it’s mostly moments of joy rather than pride that stand out. When you receive an award at the convention, when you read or listen to words of gratitude from colleagues or clients. All this is a reminder that all your trying is not in vain, plus it pushes me to start working even harder. As an artist, I’m not at all interested in getting credit without doing anything. I create because I can and because I like it – if it makes the world a better place then I’m happy.

Make sure to follow Maksim on Instagram for more amazing tattoos.

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Interview with Hernán Giamberardino

Tattoo artist and founder of Cry Baby tattoo in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Hernán Giamberardino (best known as “Adamexiste”) tells us about his journey to become a tattooer, his appreciation for his clients and the detailed tattoos he creates…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? I got my first tattoo at the age of 15, but what inspired me to become a tattoo artist was actually TV shows. Back then we didn’t have social media, so I was exposed to the tattoo scene by the pictures hanging outside of tattoo shops in my hometown. I never thought about it as an art expression until these TV reality tattooing shows came out and I became obsessed.

How did you become an artist? My grandfather was a musician, my mother is a painter, so I guess art is in my DNA. I knew that if I wanted to become a good tattoo artist I would need more information. I was studying fine arts in Barcelona at the time, but I wasn’t getting what I wanted out of it, so I quit and got into Illustration at the Superior School of Design in Palma. That was game changing for me, I finally got the knowledge I needed and became more confident about tattooing.

My first job as a tattoo artist was in a nightclub, I always say if you can tattoo in a nightclub you can tattoo anywhere! It was a lot of fun and I gained what felt like years of experience in just a couple of months. I’m very grateful for that opportunity, although I would never do it again. I then worked for the same company in downtown Palma and after three years I had gained enough clients that I decided to open my own tattoo shop.

How long have you been tattooing? Ive been tattooing for almost 10 years and hope to keep doing it for a very long time.

How would you describe your work? I would describe my work as “delicate and detailed”. I have some sort of Horror Vacui, so even if it’s a small piece it needs to be full of details. I’m a perfectionist and in small tattoos there’s no space for errors. I think that’s what I love the most about fine line and small tattoos, every piece is a challenge and you need to be focus a 100%. I also love the aesthetic, love to see a sleeve full of small tattoos and think of the story behind each one of them.

Have you always tattooed like this? When I started tattooing I tried a little of every style, mainly because when you work for a company you don’t really get to choose what you tattoo or just do the things you like. You have to do a bit of everything. Instagram and social media really helped me develop the audience and clients that I wanted. I only posted the kind of tattoos that I wanted people to ask me for. Now I’m very grateful that I can decide what I want to tattoo and what I don’t.

What do you love to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I love tattooing anything related to nature. Now more than ever tattoo trends change so quickly and I find something timeless in nature related tattoos. You can see them 10 years from now and they will still work. Insects and plants are my favourite, and pet portraits too when you see the client’s reaction. I would love to do more portraits of people, I absolutely enjoy it and it’s the biggest challenge for me.

How has the pandemic affected you and your tattooing? I can’t really say the pandemic affected my business in a negative way. I had to close the shop for four months and stay at home and that gave me the chance to work on other projects that I had going on.

Once we could reopen I think I had even more clients than before. Bars and restaurants were closed, social events were cancelled so people that love tattoos had the time and money. I’m very aware that this hasn’t been everyone’s situation so all I can say is how grateful I am to all my clients that kept on coming to the shop in this hard times.

The bad part of the pandemic for me was the fear. Obviously the nature of our job demands us to take extra care regardless if we are in a pandemic or not. In the beginning it was very unclear what was the best way to keep everybody and ourselves safe.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? Most of my tattoos are handpoke. I’m very lazy on the aftercare, and handpoke doesn’t require a lot of it. I always have to think a lot for my clients, so when it comes to my own tattoos I prefer to go to my friends’ flashbooks and choose the first thing that calls my attention. 

I’m more of a friends’ tattoo collector, I love tattoos that makes me laugh when I see them or remind me of a special person. I have a lot of tattoos that were made by friends that had never done a tattoo before and they’re my favourite. I also have a lot of insects, animals and matching tattoos with people I love.

Plans for the future? I’m currently in the process of opening a second tattoo shop so I can have more artists with me. I love working with people and the inspirational flow it creates so I’m very excited about it. I’m also gonna be participating, for the first time, in a tattoo convention in October and I think that will be an amazing experience.

Give Hernán a follow on Insta for more incredible tattoos and keep up to date with his future plans.

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Interview with tattoo artist Fan Wu

New York based anime tattoo artist Fan Wu tells us about her journey into becoming a tattoo artist and how her love for anime inspires everything she does…

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist and how did you become one? I really love drawing, have done since I was a kid. I’m introverted so I spent most of my time drawing. My major was printmaking in college, which is similar to tattooing as it’s a handmade process. Now I’m drawing on the skin instead of on the paper.

I was so curious about the tattoo process, that at first I started to learn it by myself. The more I got to know about the tattoo world the deeper I fell in love with it. I could, and still can, see lots of different styles and techniques from all over the world. So, I transformed into a tattoo artist instead of a printmaker, after I finished a tattoo apprenticeship.

How long have you been tattooing? Have you always worked in New York? I’ve been tattooing for almost four years now. I started to learn to tattoo when I was in college in Philadelphia. I used to tattoo on myself and my friends to practice, after graduation, I moved to New York and started my real tattooing life.

What inspires your work? What is it about anime that made you want to make it your signature style? I think what inspires my work the most is anime, florals, geometry, and galaxy patterns. I remember during my childhood the main thing I was doing was drawing and watching anime. The anime world is full of magic, craziness, and imagination. I’m always impressed by the characters and the stories. It’s so real, but it’s also not real.

Every time I watch anime I’m encouraged and touched by the spirits of the characters. I can tell how the author wants to express himself to the human world, and that’s the most important and impressive part to me. It’s just so amazing! So, I want to create more anime designs and custom pieces related to anime. Like the authors of the anime I love, I want to show people, who also love anime, the view I can see. I want to express my feelings through anime pieces.

How would you describe your work? Have you always tattooed like this? What drew you to this type of tattooing? My work is all fine line style. When I was an apprentice, I started to learn fine line style. It suited me as I really enjoy doing details and I love to spend time practising thin line. I worked as a printmaker for a while after graduating. Printmaking requires lots of detailed hand drawing and similar techniques, so I transferred these to tattooing. 

Can you tell us about the process behind your tattooing? I like to play my favourite music playlist before I draw., as songs inspire me too. Whenever I get a strong inspiration, I will start the sketch immediately. If I decide to finish a drawing, no matter how late it is, I will finish it.

What do you love to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I love to do anime work the most. I also like to do custom pieces, like animal portraits, florals, and things that are meaningful to my clients. But I will say anime work is my favourite. I think I will try more coloured work in the future.

Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? Yes I am a tattoo collector! I’ve done loads of guest spots in different cities and I’ve met lots of amazing tattoo artists. I’ve been so impressed by all the different styles and the artists’ flash work, that I love to collect flash pieces from different artists that I like. I also like to draw the design myself and find the right tattoo artist to do it on my body.

Give Fan a follow on Insta.

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Interview with tattoo artist Jing

Fineline tattooer Jing works in a private studio in the Arts District of Los Angeles, a hidden gem of a place where she has lots of plants and sunlight. Jing tells us her Chinese name is 静月 meaning peaceful moon, which fits beautifully with her private studio, a space she can focus on her designs in and work peacefully.

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist? How did you become an artist? To be honest, I never planned to become a tattoo artist. I became a tattoo artist by accident. In China, tattoos are still connected with gangs and gangsters, and I had negative opinions about them for this reason. It took me almost half a year to understand why people were getting tattoos. But I will share how I got from there to where I am today…

My uncle is an artist, specialising in oil painting. He has an art studio in Chengdu, China. I was his very first student when I was a little girl. After high school I got accepted by the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (中央美术学院) to study arts and design. During senior year, I went to Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) to study style and design. At that time, my dream was to become a visual merchandise designer or a UX designer.


One day while helping a friend shoot for a video, we went to a tattoo studio. At that time, my life was boring as I was preparing for the GRE exam. So I thought learning to tattoo could be a fun hobby. So I started my apprenticeship, and because of Instagram, I was lucky to have clients who supported me and helped me move to Los Angeles. Then luckily again, I met Eva Karabudak. She was a big inspiration for me, and she helped me to see the value of my work, and build a stronger technique.

Today, I study Chinese traditional painting and Chinese calligraphy. My goal is to bring traditional Chinese Arts into tattooing and integrate them.


How would you describe your work? Have you always tattooed like this? What drew you to this type of tattooing? I say the tattoo is my client’s “mark of the soul”. As a HSP (highly sensitive person), I can easily have connections with my clients, and help them to make their ideas come to life. Even though right now, during this crazy time, I can’t do consultations in-person. Even so I always spend hours talking with my clients and adjusting the designs with them.

I know perfection is impossible, but I always try to make my designs and tattoos as close to perfect as I can. I treat my clients with love from the bottom of my heart. That’s why I can’t tattoo too many people in a day, otherwise I would burn myself out. 

For the style: from the beginning, I’ve done small fine line work. Now I would like to take those skills and tattoo more East Asian style arts, both colour and fine-line. I will say my master Pingguang Zhou 周平珖 helped me to step into the traditional Chinese art world. I paint with him every week, and this work draws me closer towards to this type of tattooing, and also the peaceful lifestyle of a Chinese artist. It guides me on my way to becoming a better artist and a better person.


Can you tell us about the process behind your tattooing? Actually, my tattoo process is really casual. That’s why I hope my clients are chill people. (Luckily almost all of them are chill and nice people!)

  • Step 1: Clients fill the booking form from my website when I open booking.
  • Step 2: After the appointment is confirmed, I will read their tattoo ideas before we meet. If they already have certain ideas, usually I will have the designs prepared for them. But sometimes, clients don’t have specific ideas, maybe either it’s their first tattoo, or they want too many elements in one small tattoo. Then I will talk with them in person first and design the tattoo with them.
  • Step 3: I will wear my earphones and focus on tattooing. My rectangle tattoos usually take one to one and a half full days, depending on the placement, size and details of the design.
  • Step 4: When the tattoo is fully healed, clients will give me feedback on how their skin took the ink. Because I do colour packing (which means each spot packed colour three to five times), most tattoos heal great. If there is any spot that didn’t heal great, I welcome them to come back for a free touch up session within a year.


What inspires your designs? East Asian culture is always my biggest inspiration, especially traditional Chinese painting (especially from Song Dynasty), Japanese Ukiyo-e, Jingdezhen porcelain, Dunhuang Murals etc.

What do you love to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like tattooing both fine-line and colours. For fine-line, I love tattooing Chinese meticulous line drawings. For colour tattoos, I love the rectangular designs with many details. I feel satisfied after seeing my client’s surprised face after their tattoo session. In the near future, I want to design and tattoo more shapes with Chinese paintings.


Can you tell us about your own tattoos? Are you a tattoo collector? I don’t have many tattoos yet. But all of them are important to me. My first one is by my friend @yuantattoodesign, it’s a moon. I got it during my apprenticeship, mostly because I wanted to experience the pain that I was causing to others when I tattoo them.

My second one is from @gloriatattoo. We tried nine machines on a two and a half inche fine-line tattoo. I used myself to test which machine was good for fine-line, the differences of pain levels and healing progress.

My third one is from my friend @ink_by_bae. I got it when I became a tattoo artist. During that time, I felt huge peer pressure and competition. So I got the tattoo to remind myself: “Don’t compare your life to others. There’s no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.” 

My fourth and fifth tattoos were made together from my friends @ink_by_bae and @frommay_tat: they’re a leaf branch and my grandma’s favourite flower, Japanese honeysuckle. She is the one who raised me, and I really miss her.


What is the tattoo scene like in L.A? How are women in the tattoo industry treated, how has your experience been? Los Angeles a city that’s very tolerant of different cultures and immigrants. I feel happy, safe, respected and blessed to work as a tattoo artist in this city. Most of my clients are women, so I feel lucky as a female tattoo artist. I can create really feminine designs, and also neither of us will feel awkward about sensitive body placement, like the chest. There are some times that I don’t feel safe to work late alone, but all in all, my experience is really great.

Make sure to follow Jing on Instagram for more beautiful fine line tattoos.