The work of Spanish artist Jesus Aguado is steeped in symbolism and pays homage to historical masterpieces and traditions. He paints in a classical style with Baroque accents, twisting his subjects and giving them a weird and unsettling mood. Work by Jesus Aguado, @jm.aguado His world is populated by imaginary creatures, each characterised by a unique personality that is linked to a strange tale presented in the painting. Looking at them is like stepping into Alice in Wonderland and encountering characters that have no familiar forms but seem perfectly suited to the worlds the artist represent ..read more

For him, tattoos are more than just art, they’re a way to connect with people and create something meaningful together. Black and grey and black and red are the technical aspects that distinguish his work, while the subject matter that he feels most his own is the one where he can express dark concepts, those often expressed by the theme of blood tears, without too strong accents. Tattoo Artist Jae Park, @park_tattooer Above all, Park, a South Korean-born tattoo artist now based in Los Angeles, specializes in cover-ups, which he sees as a unique and challenging aspect of tattooing, as he told ..read more

Discovering the owner (along with his colleague Sum) of ‘GreenEyes Tattoo Studio’ in Nanjing and his incredible energy in personalizing the Japanese style. Tattoo by Jerry Sign, @jerrysign Hi Jerry, can you to tell me a little about yourself… Hi, I am Jerry and I am based in Nanjing, China. I’ve been tattooing for 16 years. Thank you for the opportunity of this interview. (smiles) Tattoo by Jerry Sign, @jerrysign Your style is different from the usual Japanese style, very funny and inspired by the world of comics in outlining certain subjects. Do you agree with me? Yes haha. I guess you know m ..read more

Long interview with guitarist Achilleas C. (real name: Kalantzis) in which he explains the secrets of the new album ‘The Crimson Temple’ and the lot of tattoos on his skin. Achilleas C., musician, @varathron_official Varathron has been around since 1988 while you, Achilleas, joined the band in 2004, roughly 20 years ago. Were you already interested in tattoo art at the time? (Achilleas C.) Yeah in 2004 I was only 16 but most metalheads love tattoos and so did I! (laughs) I finally had my first tattoo when I was 18. I was a first-year university student then and managed to collect some money to ..read more

In the early 90s I would often go to visit Felix and Loretta Leu and one day, Felix turned to me and said: “there are only two things a man can’t buy: true love and the pain of a tattoo. The only true anaesthetic is the profound longing to have it which allows you to go beyond the pain and cope with it while the work’s being done.” Of course that was the 90s, over 30 years ago, when tattoo was still seen by many as a symbol of virility, a rite of passage, and those who got themselves a large tattoo in painful places could revel in the satisfaction of having passed that test. A bit like the sen ..read more

Getting bigger is the motto of Leo Favarin, tattoo artist from São Paulo, Brazil, who chose California, San Diego, to put his roots down. While “Being different” has always been in his DNA, first choosing to get tattooed in the early 2000s when it was still a taboo in Brazil. Tattoo by Leo Ink, @leo_ink2013 Then choosing tattooing as his job, pursuing his interpretation of realistic black and grey, using lines and a lot of illustrative influence. He tells us about it himself here in this interview. Tattoo by Leo Ink, @leo_ink2013 Hi Leo welcome to Tattoo Life. You currently live and work in Sa ..read more

“When Miki Vialetto asked me to draw one of the posters for this year’s edition of the Gods of Ink, I thought how to express the idea I had of this convention: an event where anything can happen, where if you catch the ball rolling, unpredictable things can happen…” Jose Lopez in the poster he designed for the convention depicted this concept in a really amusing way: a dog, a dachshund, anxiously waiting for a man lying on a sofa to throw him a ball to catch. But each and every one of the tattoo artists present in the 350 stands of Gods of Ink, now that the most-awaited event of the year is ..read more

This is the primary goal of a German tattoo artist who works at ‘Corpsepainter Tattoo’ in Munich and defines his impactful style as Neo Japanese. Tattoo by Sebastian Kristen, @sebastiankristentattoo Hi Sebastian, let’s start from a recent event: can you tell me how the ‘Tattoo Planetarium’ 2024 in Paris was for you? Well, it’s always an honor to work at this prestigious event (IG: @tattooplanetarium), that is humbling and eye-opening at the same time. Tattoo by Sebastian Kristen, @sebastiankristentattoo Basic question: how did you become a tattoo artist in your life? Growing up without having ..read more

SHOP IT NOW! Don’t miss to have this amazing issue. Choose and shop now your version… PRINT VERSION DIGITAL VERSION Cover girl: Sydney Dryer Cover girl: Sydney Dryer Sydney Dryer is a ten-year tattoo veteran coming from the plains of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her passion for anything inked goes way back, embracing every opportunity tossed her way and navigating the turbulence to ascend in her career. She is not just a tattooer; she’s a shop owner, a wanderer, a friend to strangers, hoarder of memories, and, most noteworthy, the first Canadian contestant on the latest season of Ink Master ..read more

Realistic portraits in black and grey with intricate details and shading are his signature. In his work he incorporates dark elements that add depth and complexity to each piece. One eye on the Renaissance and one on the photographic darkroom which still is part of his artistic DNA. We introduce you to Dimitris Panagopoulos, Greek tattoo artist, resident at Nico Tattoo in Athens who loves travelling as a research experience and doing guest artist in Europe and the US for most of the year. Tattoo by Dimitris Panagopoulos, @dimitris_panagopoulos_ntc How did your passion for tattooing start? Sinc ..read more