Refinery 29 UK
Black Women Tattoo Artists Get Real About The Industry
Monday 12th April marked the reopening of pubs, gyms and hairdressers across England and for those who had been patiently (read: desperately) waiting for some ink, step two in the government’s roadmap out of lockdown meant tattoo studios were now back open for business. However, for Black people – particularly those with darker skin – getting tattooed often isn’t a simple process. Alongside placement and design, we have to ensure that the tattoo artist we choose is trained in working with darker skin tones. Naturally, many of us, myself included, would opt for a Black tattooist in the belief that they’d do the best job and know our skin best. Yet they remain relatively thin on the ground – and Black women tattooists are even trickier to pin down – which is unsurprising, considering that the white male-dominated tattoo industry is still a hostile place for these artists. Nish Rowe, a machine artist currently based at Femme Fatale tattoo studios in east London, certainly feels the weight of being one…
