Phuc Tran

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, that’s me. That’s me eating a scorpion from a food cart in Beijing. You’re looking at this picture and thinking, “Man, why is he eating that scorpion without a bun?!”

Okay, maybe that’s not what you were thinking. You were probably thinking, “Do I really want to work with someone who eats scorpions?” I think I can answer that.

I have a deep and abiding love of adventure, but it’s tempered by a respect for tradition and convention, and I think tattoos are an apt metaphor for this paradigm. I love the traditional imagery of tattooing, whether it’s traditional Japanese or Americana, art nouveau or graphic pop art. I have a profound respect for the history and vocabulary that visual art brings. From the time I started tattooing in 1997, I’ve tried to find the balance between respecting this tradition and being adventurous as a craftsman (while honoring your needs as a tattoo client).

As you look at my work online, I hope that you’ll appreciate the balance that I seek between the tradition and clarity of the images and adventurous compositions and color choices. There’s tremendous care with which each tattoo is done. I love tattooing (two decades later), and I hope that this still shows in my work. I love working with clients to help them realize their visions, regardless of subject matter or style.

Tradition and adventure; convention and originality; new and old: there’s a fine balance between these things. Sometimes it means that we have to push ourselves to do something that makes us uncomfortable. Maybe it means challenging our own concepts about what convention dictates. Or maybe it means actually embracing an old tradition and adhering to its rules. Finding that balance is a hard but rewarding process, and its pursuit often yields unexpected delights— delights like knowing what scorpion tastes like.

See you soon!

Phuc