There is unfortunately still quite a bit of subtle (and not-so-subtle) racism in the tattoo industry. It’s often believed that customers with darker skin are harder to tattoo, but that’s certainly not the case. Especially as body modification is such an important part of all cultures and histories, not just white ones.
Black ink is also not the only ink that has to be used on dark skin, contrary to what many believe. Darker skin can still feature bright and colourful pieces. you just have to know what you’re doing with that tattoo machine.
More tattoo artists should push themselves to learn how to tattoo different skin types, including darker skin, as the subculture of tattooing isn’t so “sub” anymore. It can be disheartening for black or tanned customers walking into a tattoo shop when all they see is flash painted on white paper, and portfolios filled with white skin, or only very dark tattoos on darker skin.
(June 2020) With the world finally rallying beside our black brothers and sisters it’s more important than ever to support black businesses, including tattoo artists.
Susanne is a tattooer at Redwood Tattoo Studio in Manchester. She does fine linework, dotwork, and blackwork. All of her tattoos use only black ink, but her intricate dotwork make a great contrast to the heavy black.
A girl and her cat, the start and the moon.Victorian octopus lady looking very serious.Fantastic night time land and city scape.Gorgeous Venus piece!Lovely jellyfish in a jar.Three adorable foxes cuddling.A girl and her big dog!
Much of her work features popular characters or places from books, film, and tv.
Eleven from Stranger Things!Severus Snape wearing Neville’s Grandmother’s clothing.The first years heading to Hogwarts!
She draws much inspiration from histories famous painters, and even does their portraits.
Brilliant portrait of Van Gogh with his own sky design as the background.Frida Kahlo as one of her own portraits.Dot and blackwork Picasso vase!Katsushika Hokusai’s wave, one of the most iconic Japanese motifs.
Her whimsical animal portraits are fantastical and heartwarming, such as space narwhales, dogs in space, dinosaurs in clothing, etc.
Sloth bathing in some tasty ramen!Super cool badger rocking out.Pirate kitty!!Narwhale with a cool space theme.Brachiosaurus in some fancy clothes.Very pretty mermaid.A heavily tattooed and bearded merman.
Susanne is a must see artist if you’re in Manchester!
Frida Kahlo was a painter born in Mexico in 1907. She mainly painted self portraits, but many were heavily stylized, and some based on current pop culture.
American traditional portrait done by Alix Ge in France.Sketchwork style done by Victor Montaghini.Portrait in a heart done by Amanda Toy in Milan, Italy.
Her art explored questions of gender, identity, class, race, and postcolonialism in Mexican society.
Geometric, dotwork deer piece by Bob Mosquito.Blackwork style done by Sue Jeiven.Neo traditional portrait with roses done by Christophe Bonardi.
Frida’s art has been called surrealist, and magic realist. Her paintings are praised today by feminists for their depictions of the female experience and form.
American traditional portrait done by Dennis Gutierrez in Barcelona.Blackwork/dotwork portrait done by Susanne König.New school skeletal portrait done by Eric Moreno at Birdhouse tattoo in Madrid.
Frida became an artist during recovery after she was injured in an accident when she was eighteen.
American traditional portrait by Esther de Miguel in Berlin.Black and grey portrait done by Wina Brasil.Blackwork geometric, dotwork portrait done by Fredão Oliveira in Brazil.
She became interested in politics in 1927, and joined the Mexican Communist Party where she met her husband. The two divorced in 1939 but did re marry.
Mostly black and grey portrait done by J Swan.Trash polka portrait done by Jessica Damasceno.
Frida traveled Mexico and the United States, and was given a solo exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York in 1938, which was a massive success. This was quickly followed by another exhibition in Paris the following year.
Frida as a deer done by Kirsten in Wonderland Tattoo in Portland Oregon.Realistic day of the dead sugar skull version of Frida done by Logan Aguilar.
Frida had her first solo exhibition in Mexico in 1953.
Beautiful surrealist portrait done by Mariusz Trubisz.Unfinished realistic portrait done by Megan Massacre.
She died the following year at the age of 47 due to bronchopneumonia.
Skeletal portrait done by Mike Grant.Blackwork portrait done by Paul Aherne.
Though she was relatively well known in certain circles during her lifetime, her work wasn’t appreciated the way it is now until the 1990’s, when her paintings became icons for feminists, Chicanos, and the LGBTQ community.
Bright and colorful portrait done by Sebastian Brade.Colorful geometric piece done by Steph Hanlon.
