Blackwork Tattooing: A Style That Speaks in Symbols
Blackwork is one of the most striking and enduring forms of tattooing. Built entirely with black ink - no color, no gray - it’s known for graphic precision, high contrast, and deep symbolic power. The best blackwork tattoos feel carved, not drawn, etching meaning, story, and identity into the skin.
But Blackwork represents more than just a style; it embodies a philosophy, a craft, and for some, a lineage.
Why These Artists Matter
As a CO:CREATE Curator and pioneer of Blackwork, Maxime Plescia-Buchi understands the importance of giving credit where it’s due. “There’s no university for this,” he says. “Tattooing is an oral history, and we need to remember who brought us here”.
Here are 6 groundbreaking Artists from Maxime’s list of Blackwork pioneers and beyond, Artists who helped shape the style and continue to evolve it today.
1. Thomas Hooper
Thomas Hooper is widely regarded as the architect of modern blackwork. His work blends sacred geometry, medieval symbolism, and abstract patterning in ways that feel both timeless and futuristic. Maxime credits him with “creating a coherent practice” that brings together aesthetic, technique, and meaning.
2. Duncan X
A London legend, Duncan X redefined traditional Western tattoo motifs by stripping them down, removing color, simplifying shapes, and injecting bold symbolism. Maxime says Duncan introduced a “minimal graphic approach” that became foundational to the blackwork aesthetic.
3. Jon Diaz (Jondix)
Jondix blends Asian mysticism and Western esotericism into profoundly spiritual tattoos. His compositions often reference Tibetan Buddhist imagery, alchemical diagrams, and sacred mandalas, all executed with clean, graphic precision. His influence resonates globally, particularly among Artists who view tattooing as a ritual.
4. Xed Le Head
The late Xed Le Head was a visionary who helped reshape the possibilities of Blackwork tattooing. Known for pioneering large-scale dotwork and optical patterns, Xed viewed the body as a canvas for immersive design. His work expanded the visual language of blackwork and continues to influence a generation of Artists.
5. Yvonne Ziegler
Yvonne Zeigler’s work introduces fine art into the realm of Blackwork with striking clarity. She was the first Artist Maxime saw who referenced Albrecht Dürer’s engravings in tattooing, infusing classical European iconography into the medium in bold, innovative ways. Her designs resemble wearable etchings, blending fine line control with symbolic depth.
6. Hannes
Hannes expands the language of Blackwork through large-scale, deeply symbolic compositions. Influenced by early pioneers like Xed Le Head, Hannes’s work often incorporates neo-tribal aesthetics and pushes abstract patterning into more experimental territory. Maxime notes his approach as “even more radical in composition” and a defining force in the evolution of the style.
Thinking About Blackwork?
Whether you’re drawn to geometric sleeves, symbolic placements, or full-body dotwork, these Artists embody the foundation of Blackwork tattooing today.
Explore Maxime’s full curated list, Pioneers of Blackwork Tattooing, exclusively on CO:CREATE.
