A philosophical interview (with many real-life examples) with one of Britain’s finest tattoo artists, co-owner of the ‘All Known Tattoo Collective’ in Cambridge.
Kyle, before I ask you anything about yourself, could you tell me what it was like tattooing YouTuber/boxer Jake Paul on the roof of a building?
It was an interesting experience – not my usual gig! As you can imagine, everything is scripted and staged. Attention is a modern currency, to stay relevant and maintain an interested audience through controversial discussion and polarised opinions – this isn’t a purpose or lifestyle I could personally maintain, I am an artist first.
I enjoyed seeing first hand, these popular names come to life and switch on their public characters when the camera starts rolling.
But don’t forget – that’s all you’re watching, they are portraying exaggerated caricatures of themselves.
These guys are human, they have personal lives much like ourselves, they are very clever in the way they can generate wealth through staged attention. All in all, it was a pleasant experience – I was flown to Dubai, put in a nice hotel, driven around in fancy cars, taken to nice places and Jake Paul (IG: @jakepaul) was very polite and down to earth with me – but much like a dream, it was quickly over and I was happy to awake back home in normality to resume creating in my sanctuary.
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Once you defined your work as “Abstract-Realism with elements of Graffiti and New School/illustration”. A comprehensive definition that leaves no doubt about what you’re doing. Or does it require further explanation?
There is always room to expand on your personal creative journey, but in all honesty – I don’t know how to categorise or “coin” my style. I can tell you that it is a perfectly predictable outcome of my life experience.
My Mother was a great pencil portrait artist, I grew up watching her draw. For extra income she would have foreign students live in our busy home, mostly Asian – they would show me Manga, this fuelled my fascination for comics and illustrations. Finally, to escape life’s mundane tribulations I fell into the world of vandalism and Graffiti, I was allured into Hip-Hop culture.
You blend these experiences together, you might just find my tattoo style – and it will never stop evolving.
Graffiti has always been as artistically important to you as tattoos. There’s just a huge difference between painting on a wall and running a thin needle over skin. Perhaps your fusion of styles when it comes to tattoos is that you really can’t do without Graffiti. Is that true?
Correct. Without Graffiti, tattooing doesn’t exist to me – arguably, Graffiti saved my life. I used Graffiti as an escape, a way to reinvent or re-discover myself in a time when I was lost and aimless.
Are you trying to tell me that…
Yeah, in all honesty, I had no interest in tattooing. It was a happy accident. I had been caught painting a wall that happened to be the side of a tattoo shop – someone saw potential in me and the rest is history.
Do you have other sources of inspiration when you work?
That depends if I am tattooing a theme/idea that has been requested or if I’m creating something custom that I want to advertise. Generally speaking, my influence comes from the aforementioned subjects (Hip-Hop, Graffiti, Cartoons, Realism) and the nuances and artists within those categories. Overall, as an artist, not just tattooing in general – I am a true observer and this is what inspires me.
Give me some real examples…
I could spend hours observing the way sunlight hits a glass bottle. I’m fascinated with decay, industrial buildings and large social housing, infrastructure. I could stare at my own hand as I endlessly change and observe its form as if it were a still life painting. I love people and places, smells and nostalgia. I romanticise about eras long forgotten and feel homesick for places I’ve only imagined.
The human experience influences me and the mystique that surrounds our weird and wonderful lives.
You’ve described yourself as a self-taught artist who learned more from “No” than from the “Yes” of previous tattoo artists you’ve worked with. Do you think today’s artists need a little healthy “No” from time to time to improve and not take everything for granted?
A little healthy “No” or a hard “No” is necessary for everyone, this applies to life in general, let alone tattooing. Knockbacks are lessons and failures are essential. It’s all a part of growth. Surrounding yourself with “Yes” tends to put you in scenarios that lack reflection, awareness and problem solving – how do you improve yourself and finetune your skills without this?
If you had to name something that continues to amaze and influence you even today, after all these years of doing this job…?
The fact that I can support and provide for my family through my art. People seek me out for my creations, something that has inevitably been brewing all my life – I will never get over this. I may take it for granted some days but my heart and soul will be fulfilled when my time is done, that’s for sure.
Where would you primarily spend 2026? In Cambridge, or travelling from guest spot to guest spot, attending a few tattoo conventions in between?
I’ve spent several years now running at lightspeed. Travelling for conventions and guest spots across the world every month, making connections, building a home and family with my wonderful wife to be, creating ‘All Known Tattoo Collective’ in Cambridge (IG: @all_known_tattoo) with my business partner Alexandra Hugianu (IG: @alex.hug.tattoo). It’s a wild ride and I have no intention of stopping or slowing down.
However, I do plan to sit at cruise control for a couple of years. I have a young family and I’ve missed some important moments, made some mistakes and forgot to stop and smell the roses from time to time. 2026 I’ll be attending the two best shows in the world – ‘Mondial du Tatouage’ (IG: @mondialdutatouage) in Paris and ‘Gods of Ink’ (IG: @godsofinktattooconvention) in Frankfurt. The rest of the time I’ll be tattooing in Cambridge working hard and playing harder with some well deserved holidays for my family.
And your last famous words… ?
“A Wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to”.
Follow ‘All Known Tattoo Collective’ on Instagram: @all_known_tattoo
