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The Handpoke tattoos of Charlotte Bolton

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Our founding editor Alice Snape spent the most gorgeous Friday afternoon inside the walls of The Gilded Rook Tattoo Studio, in Chesterfield. The studio owned by Liv Frost is up some winding stairs and it feels like an escape, there’s some seriously good vibes going on. Alice got tattooed by resident hand-poke tattoo artist Charlotte Bolton , who was gentle, patient, funny and warm; she tattooed meticulously in tiny movements while they chatted about lockdown / love / dogs (obvs). Our editor Rosalie Hurr caught up with Charlotte to find out more. How long have you been tattooing?  The Gilded Rook is the first professional studio I have worked in, and I started there in October 2020! Before then, I had been practising and teaching myself for about a year. What inspired you to become a tattoo artist?  I am a very creative person, and it has always been one of my career goals and dreams to be a tattoo artist. I just see it as another exciting art form to work in. I’ve always had
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Interview with tattoo artist, Dario

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Sydney-based tattoo artist Dario tells us about his journey to becoming a tattoo artist, how his style has progressed and some advice for tattoo first-timers… When did you first know you wanted to be a tattoo artist? What attracted you to the world?  I used to paint graffiti and street art, since I was 14 years old. When I turned 18, I was getting tired of the problems it brought. Tattooing was a legal way to keep making art and I knew I wanted it to be my job. What did you dream of being when you were a child? I wanted to be an architect when I was very little, after that I always imagined I might become a pro skateboarder. What is it that you most love about tattooing people? Being able to travel overseas and constantly meet interesting people. I have really missed that during the pandemic. What’s the tattoo scene like over in Sydney? I know there are lots of amazing studios and would love to visit one day – when the world opens up again. The tattoo scene in Sydney is massiv
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Interview with tattoo artist Jing

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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
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Interview with Artem Koro

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A tattoo artist and keen traveller Artem Koro creates incredible tattoo compositions. We caught up with Artem to learn more about his avant-garde tattooing and love for the craft… I have always been attracted to the trade and have been a tattoo artist for the past six years. I first got tattooed when I was 14 years old and at 28 I realised that I could combine my love of tattoos and travelling the world into one profession. I then set out to become a tattoo artist. I would define my style as avant-garde. It’s a style that has evolved and continues to evolve. That’s something that is very important to me; it’s important that my style and myself will continue to constantly develop. I don’t believe in staying in one place in terms of style and what I create. I think it is very important to note that there is always some growth in my art. Development is the root of success as is growing as an artist. I get inspiration from many aspects of life, including music, movies and place
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The handpoke tattoos of Mellowpokes

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Mellowpokes from Toronto talks to us about how she got into tattooing, why she love handpoke and tattooing during a pandemic… How long have you been tattooing and how did you get into it?  I’ve been tattooing for three years. I went to OCAD university here in Toronto and studied illustration. After university I always made time for creative projects, but generally found that they didn’t pay enough to actually make a living, so I started doing graphic design. There were parts of it that I enjoyed, but for the most part I didn’t find it very fulfilling. I found a lot of the jobs to be tedious, and often found myself working for large corporations with many different people to please. I didn’t actually start getting tattoos until I was in my mid-20s, but once I started I got really excited by all the incredible talent in my city. I got a backpiece done by the absolutely incredible Jess Chen and we talked a bit about having both gone to OCAD and afterward doing graphic design out of
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Interview with Alberto Lelli

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25-year-old Alberto Lelli from Italy creates rad traditional tattoos mixed with Italian Futurism and German Bauhaus at Seven Doors Tattoo in Lane, London. We chatted to Alberto about the inspiration behind his pieces and the affects of the pandemic on tattooing.. . How long have you been a tattoo artist? I did my first tattoo at 18 so this year it’s my seventh anniversary in the tattoo world. The first thing I did after turning 18 was get a tattoo. I immediately fell in love with this world and started visiting the tattoo studio almost on a daily basis. One year after I finished high-school I started my apprenticeship in the same tattoo shop. What drew you to the world of tattooing? During high-school I studied at art school. This is where I got a strong education in the history of art and graphics. I took a lot of inspiration from the artistic movements of the 20th century.         How would you describe your style? My favourite definition of my work is “a contradiction
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The growing bodies of Lauren Hepple

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Lauren Hepple of String of Hearts Tattoo in Southsea shares her love for cat tattoos and the inspiration behind her ‘growing bodies’ tattoo series … Photograph taken by Bradley Salmon How long have you been tattooing and how did you get into the industry? I have been tattooing for around three years now. Tattooing was always something I wanted to do but after being discouraged at school from looking into it seriously as a career, I moved onto other arts practices and worked in textiles briefly. After a few months of this, I saw a local studio advertising that they were looking for apprentices. I sent my portfolio in and that’s where it all started. What does tattooing mean to you? Tattooing is a big creative outlet for me. Even while I can still draw at home, creating a piece for someone and bonding over the experience is very fulfilling. It is also a medium unlike anything else. It is constantly evolving and changing and with each tattoo I do I get new opportunities to pu
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