Tattoo

Tattoo artists tattooing their clients.

Ukrainians embrace tattoos as a form of patriotism

Ukraine

In many ways, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become a war of identity and self-expression. Many Ukranians are turning to tattoos to show their patriotism.

tattooist

South Korea has a burgeoning tattoo scene. But most tattoo parlors are illegal.

Culture
mummies

Not-so-fresh ink: Tattoos discovered on Egyptian mummies

Culture
Shigeharu Shirai (C), a 74-year-old Japanese man accused of a gang murder in Japan 15 years ago attends a news conference at a police station, after being detained by police in Lopburi province, Thailand, Jan. 11, 2018.

Japanese crime boss held in Thailand after ‘yakuza’ tattoos go viral

Justice
Tattooed human skin forms part of an exhibit in Portugal.

Portugal is exhibiting human skin with smutty old tattoos

Arts
Safi Haso, about 70 years old, from Girik village of Kobani. "We are probably the last generation that has tattoos," she says. "All Kurdish women had them." In addition to facial, hand and neck tattoos, Haso has tattooed her own breast with circles around

These Kurdish refugee women are proud owners of facial tattoos

Culture

Photographer Jodi Hilton visited a Syrian refugee camp last fall. And she came across something unexpected: beauty. Kurdish women there have facial tattoos, also known as “deq.”

The World

Veterans display their wars through ink and art

Culture

A tattoo often comes with a story. And with many American veterans unable or unwilling to tell their stories in words, a pair of veterans have started collecting the stories behind the tattoos to help people understand the wars they fought.

The eyes tattooed on this Soviet prisoner's chest signify "I can see everything" and "I am watching," the powerful tattoo of a criminal "overseer." The eight-pointed stars tattooed on the shoulders mark the bearer as an "authoritative’" thief.

What it means when you see a Russian guy with a knife tattooed on his neck

Culture

Back in the Soviet era, prison tattoos among criminals had a language all their own. A criminal’s body served as a hard-earned record of his crimes, status — and maybe even some questionable bets.

Turkish tattoo artist Danny Garcia in his Istanbul tattoo parlor.

A Turkish businessman honors Ataturk — by offering free tattoos of his signature

Arts, Culture & Media

Artist Danny Garcia is part of the movement to honor Turkey’s modern-day founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on the anniversary of his death. But this year, just one person took up his offer of a free tattoo of Ataturk’s signature. And that may be a sign of a cultural shift.

Getting Inked: The Story Behind Traditional Maori Tattoos

Arts, Culture & Media

Tattoos take many forms and have a history going back thousands of years. But in which country would you most likely find a tattoo style called moko?