Hi, my name is Jab. I am a rocker and tattoo artist based in Berlin. I work with black graphic tattoos and blackwork, inspired by medieval marginalia, manuscripts and religious imagery. My style sits somewhere between illustrative blackwork and engraving-style tattoos: strong linework, clear shapes and a lot of strange, old looking details.
I like the idea of tattooing images a medieval monk might have seen from his window, or drawn out of boredom into the margins of a Bible. My goal is to make these medieval style tattoos feel contemporary while still looking old, like woodcuts or etchings. I am drawn to pieces that feel timeless, a bit rough, honest, alive, ironic, funny and sad at the same time, like illustrations from an old fairy tale book you remember flipping through as a kid.
Almost all of my tattoo work is done strictly in black ink. I focus on line, contrast and structure, without colour, gradients or heavy backgrounds, using negative space and bold black to make the design stand out on the skin. I pay a lot of attention to how a tattoo sits on the body, how it works with anatomy and how it will look years later when the lines and blackwork have settled.
I enjoy working with flash designs and custom tattoos, especially medium sized pieces, but I am also very interested in larger projects like sleeves and more complex compositions built around one clear idea. Even in big blackwork tattoos, I try to keep everything readable and avoid overloading the image. My working process is calm and thoughtful: I take time with placement, composition and details, and I prefer making tattoos that will age well. If strong graphic black tattoos, a medieval spirit and a mix of humour and darkness speak to you, we will probably feel comfortable working together.
