Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists
Visual Identity and Photoshoot Direction for the world’s first auction of tattoos by contemporary artists.
Produced for JOOPITER.
Visual Identity • Photoshoot Direction
Photo by Zach Reich
Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists is the world's first auction dedicated to tattoo designs by contemporary artists.
Curated by JOOPITER, the auction featured 16 original designs by leading fine artists, to be executed on the winning bidders by acclaimed tattoo artist Dr. Woo. The collection launched with an immersive exhibition at Dover Street Market Paris.I led the visual identity and art direction for the campaign. This included hand-crafting the calligraphic wordmark, directing a high-profile photoshoot for the catalog, and designing the environmental graphics for the launch event.
Photo by Zach Reich
When presented with the opportunity to design the Inked wordmark, I felt excited to utilize the skills I developed in my previous practice as a blackletter calligrapher.
Historically, this style has strong connotations in both tattoo art and in religious manuscripts and sacred texts. For this project, I sought to recontextualize that "sacred" weight into a commercial, contemporary setting. By applying the rigor of traditional blackletter to the rebellious vernacular of tattoo culture, the identity bridges the gap between high art and street style. The resulting hand-inked logo and iconography feel both historic and raw.
Hand-calligraphing the wordmark, icon, and artists’ names throughout the visual identity allowed for an original, eye-catching identity that visually and technically pays homage to tattoo culture.
Beyond the logo, I served as the Art Director for the auction’s visual campaign. I collaborated with photographer Pamela Berkoviç to shoot black-and-white portraits that would serve as the canvas for the artists’ designs.
On set, I directed the models’ movement and posing to create ideal compositions for the tattoos. Following the shoot, I used Photoshop to create realistic skin-texture mockups of each artist's design applied to the models. These assets became the core of the digital auction and social media campaign by allowing bidders to visualize the transition from canvas to skin.I extended this visual system across every touchpoint of the auction. From designing the social media campaign that drove digital bidding to creating the environmental graphics—including banners and infographics—for the launch at Dover Street Market Paris, I ensured a seamless visual narrative between the screen and the physical space.
Photo by Pamela Berkoviç
Photo by Pamela Berkoviç
Photo by Deeplab Studio
Photo by Slava Mishura
Photos by Pamela Berkoviç