If you've been following my work for a while, you'll probably know me for my black and grey Japanese-inspired tattoos.
And while I'm incredibly grateful for all the projects and clients that have come my way through this style, I've been slowly working towards something a little different.
Actually, it's been happening for quite some time now, but I think it's finally time I properly talk about it!
I'm gradually moving away from my older black and grey oriental style and putting more of my energy into bold blackwork, flornamental and Japanese-inspired ornamental tattoos.
SO, WHY THE CHANGE?
I think it's pretty normal for artists to change their interests as they grow.
The more I tattoo, the more I find myself drawn towards designs that are bold, simple and intentional. I love the way solid black can create contrast, how negative space can make a design stand out, and how the right composition can really complement and elongate the body.
I'm finding myself wanting to simplify things rather than add more detail.
And don't get me wrong, I still love and appreciate the black and grey Japanese work I've done over the years. It's a huge part of my journey and has taught me so much.
But I've realised that some of the approaches I used in my older work don't quite fit the direction I want to take anymore.
I want to create tattoos that work with the body, rather than just sit on it.
I also think a lot about how tattoos heal and age. It's something I've become increasingly particular about over the years, and it's definitely influenced the way I design and tattoo today.
So really, this change is just me following what genuinely excites me as an artist.
WHAT I'M WANTING TO TATTOO MORE OF
Moving forward, these are the projects I'm hoping to fill my books with:
Flornamental: Florals mixed with ornamental designs, especially pieces that flow beautifully with the body.
Solid blackwork: Bold, high-contrast designs with strong shapes and negative space.
Full blackouts: Large-scale solid black tattoos, approached gradually with healing and long-term saturation in mind.
Japanese-inspired ornamental: Taking elements of Japanese art and combining them with my own ornamental and blackwork approach.
I'm especially interested in larger projects like creeping waves over shoulders into the chest, or connecting pieces from your legs up to your back and neck, wraparound torso tattoos and anything that gives me room to really work with the body's natural shape.
Basically, if you love bold blackwork, body flow and are happy to give me some creative freedom, we're probably going to get along pretty well!
WHAT ABOUT MY OLDER BLACK AND GREY JAPANESE WORK?
This is probably the biggest thing I wanted to address.
For now, I'm putting new applications for my older black and grey oriental and Japanese-inspired style on hold until further notice.
That doesn't mean I'm completely shutting the door on anything Japanese-inspired or black and grey.
If your idea includes elements of my older work, I'm still happy to have a look at it. But please understand that I'll most likely want to approach it a little differently.
That could mean introducing more solid black, simplifying certain elements, changing the composition or incorporating blackwork and ornamental details.
Of course, I'll always discuss these ideas with you first and make sure we're both happy with the direction before committing to anything.
I still want to bring your ideas to life, but I also want to be able to put my own artistic approach into the design.
And if you've got your heart set on something that looks exactly like my older work, with little room for creative interpretation, I might not be the right artist for that particular project anymore.
And that's okay!
There are so many talented artists out there, and I'd much rather you find someone who genuinely loves creating the exact style you're after.
This isn't about my older style being bad or less valuable. It's simply about where I want to take my own work.
SO,
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR A TATTOO?
You might have noticed that I use the word application instead of booking on my website.
I promise it's not because I'm trying to make tattooing some exclusive club, haha.
It's simply because I'm becoming a lot more intentional about the projects I take on.
Tattooing is such a personal thing. You're trusting someone to permanently put artwork on your body, and I take that responsibility pretty seriously.
I want to make sure I'm the right artist for your idea, just as much as I want you to feel confident that I'm the right artist for you.
Especially with large-scale projects, we're potentially spending months, sometimes even years, working together!
So it's important that we're on the same page creatively.
When you send through an application, I'm looking at more than just whether I have time available. I'm considering the idea, placement, scale, how it could work with your body and whether it's something I feel I can genuinely do my best work on.
I'd rather take on fewer projects that I'm really excited about than say yes to everything just to fill my calendar.
And hopefully, that means you get an artist who's just as excited about your tattoo as you are!
THE MELBOURNE TATTOO EXPO AND WHAT COMES NEXT
If you've been keeping up with my socials, you'll know I'm preparing for the Australian Tattoo Expo in Melbourne this December.
This has actually been a pretty big motivation for me to start putting all these changes into action.
I've been slowly working towards this new direction for a while, but the expo feels like a good opportunity to properly introduce the kind of work I want to be known for moving forward.
Everything I'm planning to showcase at my booth will reflect the work I want to create more of in the future.
From the tattoos and designs I display to the overall presentation, I'm putting a lot of thought into making sure it represents where I'm heading as an artist.
I'm hoping it'll also be a chance to meet more people who love flornamental, bold blackwork, blackouts and Japanese-inspired ornamental tattoos as much as I do.
And once the expo is over, I'll be getting a little stricter with the applications I accept, particularly when it comes to my older black and grey style.
I know this might be disappointing for anyone who's been following my work and waiting to book something similar to my older pieces.
But I hope you can understand that, as artists, we need room to explore new ideas and grow too.
WILL I EVER GO BACK TO MY OLDER STYLE?
Honestly, who knows! Haha.
I don't want to say I'll never tattoo neo-Japanese or black and grey ornamental again because interests change, and I've learned that mine definitely do.
Maybe one day I'll feel inspired to revisit those styles.
And if I do, I'll absolutely let everyone know when applications reopen!
But for now, I'm really excited about what I'm working towards, and I want to give this direction my full attention.
A LITTLE THANK YOU
Lastly, I just want to say thank you to everyone who's supported my work over the years.
Whether you've sat through hours of tattooing with me, trusted me with a big project, recommended me to someone or simply followed along on Instagram, I genuinely appreciate it.
Every tattoo I've done has helped me get to where I am today, including the ones that no longer reflect the style I'm moving towards.
I'm not trying to erase that part of my career. I'm just ready to see what else I can create.
And to anyone who's been waiting for me to take on more flornamental, solid blackwork, blackouts and Japanese-inspired ornamental projects...
THIS IS YOUR SIGN! HAHA.
I'm really looking forward to working with more of you and seeing where this next chapter takes me.
If this work speaks to you, I'd love to hear about your ideas.