Katie is a young tattoo artist who has always had a strong passion for tattoos. She is currently based in London from where she works, but her career started in Saint-Petersburg. Her biggest inspiration is nature in all its forms. When she tattoos she completely feels and expresses herself. Katie thinks that every tattoo is unique.
Hello Katie! When was your passion for tattoos born?
Hey! I remember myself drawing since I was a kid to be honest. But there is a stigma that you can’t be an artist as a full time job. That’s why I decided to have a “proper” degree at university but I was never happy with it. I always followed a bunch of tattoo artists on Instagram and admired their work. One day I finally decided to buy a hand poke course from one of the Russian artists I followed. From the start I felt like “This is it!” I fell in love with this work and have been doing it ever since.
How would you define your style?
I do fine line tattoos with dainty shading. Now my art is moving towards a more abstract direction which I have been really enjoying. I’m inspired by nature in all her forms.
“I’m inspired by nature in all her forms”
You use the handmade technique when you tattoo, don’t you? Does this technique take more time than the “traditional” one?
Yes, but actually my method is more “traditional”. As people were tattooing long before the tattoo machine came into existence. First hand poke tattoos were done with bamboo sticks instead of needles. And yes, it takes longer to create each piece. But at the same time this method is less traumatic for skin and that’s also why it’s healing faster and most of my clients find it less painful and call the pain meditative.
“I remember myself drawing since I was a kid”
From your Instagram profile I saw that your tattoos are elegant, drawn with thin lines. Do they represent an aspect of you as a person? I mean, are your tattoos a sort of projection of yourself?
I feel like yes. Because even if I create a custom design I still put a piece of me there as well. I never wanted to draw bold lines with intense colors and shades. Don’t know haha
When you create your works do you let yourself be inspired with what surrounds you? I mean the nature, the city, the society in which we live in
Yes, mostly I’m inspired by nature and textures. And my clients always inspire me as well.
Do you tattoo just in your studio in London or even in other European cities?
I tattooed just in London and Saint-Petersburg (I lived there for a while before moving to London). I was planning to do guest spots in Europe last year but the lockdown happened and all plans went upside down.
Let’s see what the future holds but I’m 100%, to not give up on this idea.
Does the job of a tattoo artist start and finish in the studio? Or is it a continuous research?
No, it definitely doesn’t haha. Sometimes it feels like I’m working all the time to be honest. So I do not only tattoo people but also manage my booking and answer emails/ DMs, draw designs, create content for my Insta account, advertising and constantly learning how to be better at my work. And by being better I mean not only tattooing skills but also drawing skills. Like at the moment I’m learning how to use a machine and in future planning to combine both methods.
“I’m finally feeling like myself”
Follow Katie and join her on this journey and to stay updated on her latest projects on instagram or her website.
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