Tattoo Life January/February 2026

Cover girl: Sara López-Torrijos

Let us present Sara López-Torrijos, the cover girl of this issue of Tattoo Life, a woman of the Mediterranean, daughter of the sea, now based in Majorca, who combines life at sea with a deep passion for tattooing. Partner of tattoo artist Daniel Bauty, on her skin she carries a tribal language that recounts personal stories and Berber culture along with her life experiences in Africa and on the ocean.

Chat at the top with Victoria Lee

She works in Beijing, and her journey has included art studies, conventions, and professional experiences that have gradually opened the doors to realistic color portraiture. Today, Victoria Lee is one of the leading figures in realistic tattooing in China, with her own studio in Beijing and 6 tattoo artists working with her. In this interview, she tells us how not only her role as a tattoo artist has changed, but also the general Chinese tattoo scene and its evolution over the past twenty years.

Daniel Gulliver

His approach to skin has made him stand out on the international tattoo scene, and today Daniel Gulliver, who grew up in Brighton, divides his time between his vibrant hometown and Paris, pursuing a style that turns skin into a play of three-dimensional optical illusions. His background in the world of graffiti has guided him and made it easier to create his works, pieces that resemble engravings on the skin, playing with the three-dimensionality of shapes he designs each time for his clients from scratch.

Caio Piñeiro

Impressed by his encounter with tattoo artist Ivan Szazi and now active in Szazi’s two studios, in São Paulo (“Kokoro Tattoo”) and London (“Kokoro Tattoo London,” located in the Hackney district), Caio Piñeiro has captivated us for twenty-two years with his works deeply inspired by the Japanese Irezumi technique. In this interview, he tells us how he became an internationally sought-after tattoo artist, but above all, how reaching a certain level of skill and expertise requires major sacrifices, absolute artistic dedication, and meticulous daily planning, all in the name of Japanese tattooing.

Lass

Is there a way of tattooing that doesn’t cut into the skin, but merely grazes it? A line that doesn’t impose an image, but follows the body like a breath, a whisper from the wearer’s own soul. This is the language of Lass, born Lazzat, originally from Central Asia and now one of Europe’s leading voices in fine-line botanical tattooing. She describes tattoo as “a silent dialogue between skin, memory, and emotion.” From Hamburg, where she runs her Allskins Tattoo studio, she creates delicate, intuitive designs—often for a female clientele—that seem to bloom from the body rather than settle upon it.

Oozy

His passport reveals Korean origins, but Oozy (real name Woojin Choi) has been living in sunny chaotic California for years now. A life choice that has led him to realize two significant dreams: becoming a successful tattoo artist and enjoying a renowned international clientele. A clientele that, among other things, goes crazy for his work featuring Eastern Traditional icons rendered with elegant lines and maximum precision in dotwork. This is the fruit of remarkable “made in Oozy” dedication; over ten years ago, he taught himself the secrets of tattoo art simply by going online and endlessly watching YouTube videos. This is his story…

Who’s who: Daniel Vexed

Digital surrealism, symbolism and emotional tension: the visual universe of Daniel – Vexed Works on social media – is a journey through images that unite grace and darkness, unease and tension. Blending pixels and spray paint, Daniel has transformed his vision into a unique and recognizable language, where each collage becomes a territory to explore where beauty and the macabre merge.

Welcome to Vatican Tattoos

Here we are between San Diego and Los Angeles, in Lake Forest, in the heart of Southern California, visiting Franco Vescovi’s renowned studio, Vatican Studios. From the outside, the building appears to be a simple white box, but stepping inside, you’re amazed by the contrast and Renaissance richness of the interior. The reason for this, as Franco explains in this interview, is that his Italian heritage has always played an important role in his identity. “Being half Italian and half Hispanic, my Italian side has always played an important role in who I am. Just as the Vatican in Italy houses masterpieces by the greatest artists of its era, our Vatican Studios has become home to some of the finest tattoo artists and artwork of today.” Join us as we step inside to admire the studio and meet the team.

Portfolio: Lucia Lamata

In the portraits by Lucia Lamata, tattoos are the common thread that links and unites, all the patina of lived life appears. Her subjects are not tattoo collectors or tattoo fans who belong to the international tattoo community, but people whose skin tells a personal story, without the need to conform to tattoo culture or trends. For Lamata, a tattoo is not a piece to be displayed, but a reflection of the most intimate self, something that arises naturally from emotion, from personal history and identity.

Around the world: Language of Skin: Mexican Tattoos as Identity, Strength, and Healing

Language of Skin is a documentary photography project by Theda Acha that explores tattooing among women in Mexico in terms of identity, personal expression, freedom, empowerment, and healing. The goal is to showcase the aesthetic and identity-based feminine imagery through tattooed marks on the skin: portraits that tell how the women featured in her shots have transformed their bodies, choosing to mark them forever with motifs that redefine their image and represent power, self-esteem, reconstruction of beauty standards, and gender identity.

…and much more