Custom’ Japanese Tattoos in Suffolk County

Mikey Fishhook enjoys offering custom Japanese inspired tattoos that are bold, detailed and made to last. One of most often said phrases in a tattoo shop is: “I want a tattoo that means something”. Look no further than Japanese style Tattooing. Each element must be carefully planned and thought out to truly represent the client’s idea and come together to create a design that moves symbiotically with the body party it is tattooed on.

Since I was a child, I have a deep appreciation for Asian-inspired art. One of my earliest memories is a red Buddha statue my father had up on a bookshelf that he got during his time overseas in the Navy. Lower on the bottom shelves were my parents record albums. My grandfather had bought an album of traditional Japanese music and the cover art was a closeup of a Geisha’s face from an old Ukiyo-e woodblock print. I was hypnotized by this cool exotic artwork. To my childhood brain it was sort of a comic book, and it sort of looked realistic, especially the nature prints. It was flattened, stylized reality and I loved the way it looked.

It is at once extremely detailed, yet simple to take in visually. The contrasting colors, strategically placed areas of black, compositional flow, and linework of this style are perfectly suited to be tattooed. Rumor has it that some of the early 19thc Japanese woodblock printers such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi were actually Horishi (Tattoo Artists). His work in particular is a huge influence on my work and countless other artists. The elaborate body suit work from these types of artists was meant to fit like the wearer had an expensive kimono on. An item that was out of reach for most people at the time. Firefighters often had images of Dragon’s tattooed on them to protect them from the flames they fought. Information like peoples year of birth and zodiac sign etc can influence the design for their tattoo; so you see every element means something and is a creative and powerful way to represent one’s life.

When I create a Japanese tattoo for you, I look at old paintings and prints in rare books that I have. The kind of reference material that isn’t floating around on Pinterest. I want to make sure that you have a correctly done and personalized tattoo for your collection that is built to last. From the heart.