Portland, home of craft beer and bike enthusiasts. Among the various traits Portlanders bring to the table, their love for ink is not pushed aside. As a fellow tattoo lover, I take pride in both my city and the artists residing. Tattooing is serious business in Portland, with globally known shops inhabiting these North West walls. People love ink here, that is not an exaggeration nor something to joke about. Tattoos are a part of our identity in Portland. It is not questioned, not frowned upon. It's what you do here, and it is so beautiful. Here's a list of prestigious shops filled with some of the most fantastic tattoo artists on the West Coast. Enjoy.
1. Icon Tattoo.
Operated and owned by a fully female crew, the tattoos created here are just as breathtaking as the space they work in. Nestled deep in the North East industrial district of Portland, it is far from unrecognized. Icon is home to seven incredibly talented artists, Including nationally ranked tattoo artist, Alena Chun.
2. Wonderland Tattoo.
There are not many tattoo fanatics left in the world who don't know about Wonderland Tattoo studio. The artists inhabiting this shop have clients who travel continents for a stabbing. With books reserved almost a year in advance, a chance for an appointment with either Alice Carrier or Kirsten Holliday is about the same as landing a winning Powerball ticket. Good luck.
3. Scape Goat Tattoo.
The 100 percent VEGAN Tattoo shop. You heard that right. Scape Goat Tattoo uses an organic-based ink that is never tested on animals. They are (not) coincidentally located in one of the many vegan strip markets in the South East district of Portland. Artists here are a mystery unto themselves, with national awards for tattooing and names like "The Wizard." They are a true gem.
4. Fortune Tattoo.
Yet another woman-owned-and-operated tattoo shop. A golden hole in the wall located on central East Burnside St., Fortune is a prime shop for daily walk-ins. If you're visiting Portland and you must get a tattoo or you're sitting at home and a tattoo thought pops into your head, run over to Fortune, they've got you covered.
5. Anatomy Tattoo.
Anatomy, how I love you. This shop is full of the roughest, toughest, nicest tattooers in the city. They may be intimidating, but if you are confident, and can sit down and power through, respect is yours. Traditional-style based, with exceptional quality.
6. Odd Ball Tattoo.
Located in a literal house, This disguised shop is anything but ordinary. What was once a South East residential home, is now one of the coolest tattoo studios in Portland, the kind of shop you don't walk into without cash in hand and a solid and specified idea of what you're looking for. Odd Ball sticks to their name and has zero tolerance for bull****.
7. Grizzly Tattoo.
Grizzly Is one of the finest shops on the northeastern side of the Willamette. The artists here mostly work in black and white styling, with stippling and heavy-line-based tattoos. They are absolutely phenomenal.
Here's my best friend getting stabbed by tattoo artist Jason Graham at Grizzly in December: He was very happy.
8. Atlas Tattoo.
Atlas, among the brilliant artists and tattoo work, is an all around gorgeous space. The shop is completely decked out with wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor, hand-painted flash art. They are very hard to book with and there is a really good reason for it. If you land an appointment here, you best be thanking the universe.
9. Adorn Body Art.
Adorn is a magic place. Home to not just prestigious tattoo artists, it is also a nationally ranked piercing studio and jewelry store. The shop sells as many diamond studs as they do tattoos.
10. Tenderfoot Studio.
Tenderfoot, otherwise known as the domain of Pony Reinhardt. The newly sprung tattoo legend from Portland, Reinhardt is dominating the tattoo game across the globe. Reinhardt opened her own official studio this last winter, just a year after she graduated tattoo school. This shop is a mystic land of paradise and I will die peacefully once I have been pricked by Reinhardt's needle. Everyone should have this studio added to their bucket list. Here's an example of Reinhardt's work:
Can't even.
11. Forbidden Body Art.
Forbidden is both a tattoo studio and a tattoo school. The graduates of Forbidden (like Pony Reinhardt) almost always go straight to work at a shop of their choice around the city or around the world. The picture above are the instructors at Forbidden, an incredibly talented bunch who are very dedicated to tattooing and instructing.
12. Freaks and Geeks Tattoo.
Located In a residential neighborhood on the east side, Freaks and Geeks is the family friendly tattoo shop all parents take their children to. (Not really, but maybe.) Don't let the name fool you, the tattoo artists here are neither freaks, nor geeks.
I could go on endlessly, I really could.
Portland is a holy garden of ink and I guarantee you that any tattoo studio you end up in, you will not be disappointed. The tattoo world in Portland is a strong community of artists who are professionals and creative of mind. If you really want a taste of the Portland scene, look up a studio, even if it's just to go inside and look around, the artists don't mind. Beware, once you enter a tattoo shop in Portland, the urge for ink becomes unbearable. There is no turning back, embrace it!
In Portland, skin is considered a canvas. We are each individual and expressive. No one has permission to tell us otherwise. We wear our hearts on our sleeve, literally.
