10 SUPER #handpoke artists to follow

There are tons of reasons to follow #stickandpoke tattooers on Instagram! They’re an eclectic and talented bunch of artists, weirdos, and activists from all over the world, connecting to the art form in a myriad of ways. They each have intriguing reasons to compile and showcase their #handpoked tattoos on the gram, whether their stick and poke practice seems to be more therapeutic both to them personally and to their communities, or because they’re using a more accessible tattooing method to make their $$$ in an impossible socio-economy, or because they are radicals using #machinefree tattoos to resist the oppressive racist & heteropatriarchal capitalism under which we are all forced to struggle and create.

I’ve compiled a list of stick and poke artists below, all of whom I’m intrigued or inspired by. There’s no end to amazing stick and poke artists on the gram; this compilation is by no means exhaustive… I’ve chosen to highlight this group mostly because I think each tattooer here has some combo of superb artistic attributes - their work is unique and precise and strange. Some of it pushes boundaries in the art world, some in the tattooing world. Some of these artists curate astounding accounts, also putting their fashion, friendship, and spiritual skills out there for all of us to learn from.

There are folks from all over the world included here, from Oakland to Asheville to NYC to Vancouver and Hong Kong. There are femmes and queer folks and qpoc and indigenous tattooers and brujas and folks relying on tattooing as a spiritual & healing ritual. Take a look, what do you see? For me, seeing this group compiled in one place reminds me that the world of stick and poke tattooing reflects a vibrant diversity of spirits and styles and approaches, and brings together folks from everywhere. And each of these artists challenge me to reflect deeply about the many meanings of self-adornment, body art, and how that helps us to navigate this difficult world.

Enjoy !

<3 e.