A New Wave Of Indian Stick & Poke Tattoo Artists

For many, tattoos are a way of documenting all things they love or moments in time that hold special meaning on the blank canvas of their skin. They can mean different things to different people. For some, the first tattoo is something they hold special and reserve for something significant, for some, it’s a drunk decision made with friends and for some, it’s a declaration of love.

When it comes to India, we’ve had a long and rich tradition of hand-poked tattoos but it is the pandemic that fueled many to channel their artistic side and across social media, we saw a resurgence of hand-poke or stick-and-poke tattoos. While some of us calmed our anxieties by giving in to the occasional banana bread bake or the whipping up of a dalgona coffee, some decided to get experimental with a needle and ink, turning their hand to the oldest method of tattooing. Well, we can thank the uptick in hand-poked tattoos across social media for bringing the intricate method and style to the forefront of our attention as we Pinterest ideas for our next tat.

The homegrown tattoo industry has also been on the rise as notable artists create their impact, one bit of ink at a time. The once underground art is finally getting its due and these are some artists that have us excited with their unique inking styles.

I. Box Juice Tattoos (they/them)

Amiya aka Box Juice is a multi-hyphenated artist who dons many hats; art curator, creative director, illustrator and of course a tattoo artist. Hailing from Mumbai, their work is a Gen-Z Pinterest dream board. They believe their style leans toward ignorant and wonky and they like the non-meaningful imperfect aesthetic of it for they believe it adds character and personality to the tattoo. Creating flash and custom designs, their name, ‘Box Juice Tattoos’ came from an inside joke; a play on the “no thoughts, head empty” to their version of “no thoughts, only juice box.” They define their unique designs as scribbles in a textbook and we wish ours looked that cool.

II. Srotoswini Sinha (they/them)

Defined by abstract designs and precise geometric lines, the artistry of freehand hand poke tattoo artist Srotoswini Sinha has taken Kolkata by storm. Creating flash and custom designs, what sets the young tattoo artist apart is the clean lines and distinct precision that could almost be mistaken for machine tattooing. What’s even better is that their creativity isn’t just limited to tattooing as they expand their creativity to music, photography and art as well. A multi-faceted artist in every sense of the word, they are one to look out for.

III. Tanshi (they/she)

Hand-poke tattoo artist Tanshi defines their tattooing style as partly ignorant, fun and funky; and we couldn’t agree more. Straying away from just the black ink tattoos that define our imagination of hand poke tattoos, their tattoos with pops of neon and other colours add an element of fun and welcome transgression. They are not just super enthusiastic about tattoos and art, but also constantly work on creating a safe space for the queer community. Their love for flash tattoos truly shines through in the designs and we think it’s time you check their work out.

If you enjoyed reading this, we also suggest:

Border-Line Tattoos Celebrate South Asian Bodies, Artistry, & Womanhood

Meet The Tattoo Artist Reviving The Tattooing tradition Of The Nagas

#HGAsks: Homegrown Tattoo Artists On Their Work As Forms Of Personal Identity & Expression