I’m a tattoo artist and painter who focuses exclusively in the style of black and grey realism.

 

There’s something so perfect about an image that can convey emotions with just tones of grey. It’s classic! Adding onto that, I’ve always seen things in black and white. Even as kid, I was never  interested in adding color to my art. I loved creating images in black and grey and making them as realistic as possible. The first thing I really remember is doing Michael Jackson portraits in pencil over and over again when I was super young.

 

I feel complete freedom in black and grey tattooing. It feels the same as when I’m working on my personal drawing or paintings. The thought process is exactly the same and the application is intuitive for me. When I did do color tattoos long ago, I had to slow down and really think about the technicality of applying color and which colors to use and how they all worked together. It felt like a struggle for me.

 

I originally started tattooing in the 90’s but felt I was not receiving the proper training so I stopped and went to art school for graphic design, while also studying photography and video production. For the next decade, I worked as an Art Director in advertising. My love for tattooing never went away, so in 2012 I decided to leave my corporate job to focus on learning to tattoo the right way, this time in a professional studio with top tier artists. Since then, I’ve been creating award-winning black and grey tattoos for my clientele in Columbus, Ohio. 

 

Most recently, I opened up a new tattoo studio with my friend and colleague Nathan Marti. Located in the Italian Village neighborhood of Columbus, Hollow Earth is a modern gallery and studio space where each artist focuses on producing stunning realism tattoos and art. Unlike the typical tattoo studio, we’re not trying to cater to every style but rather focus on one style and be the best at it. Although we are by appointment only, we’d love for you to swing by and visit!