About Isar Oakmund

Isar Oakmund, owner of Northern Black, is a tattoo Artist, educator, and researcher based in Whitley Bay, England. He is widely recognized for his deep expertise in Nordic, Viking Age, and European historical tattooing. Isar is known for creating large-scale compositions with obsessive precision.

Initially trained in special effects, Isar shifted to tattooing in 2008 and has since completed over 200 sleeves and 100 back pieces. He is the creator of The Nordic Tattoo project, which includes a series of books and events focused on historical Nordic and Celtic tattoo designs. Isar also founded Jorvik Tattoo Moot and is the author of several art books that serve as essential tools for artists working in historical styles. His books and research have significantly influenced the practice and teaching of Nordic tattooing worldwide.

“I love doing what I do. I started creating books to make it more accessible for Artists who wanted to do better Nordic tattooing, or for clients who wanted a tattoo grounded in history.”

-Isar Oakmund

“The style that I work in has grown heavily in popularity over the last 10 years. There’s been a transformation within people’s urge to have a tie in with their own cultural history, or just their nerdy fascination with the Viking age.”

-Isar Oakmund

“I’ve seen way too many rubbish tattoos in my time. I think working with something like this, like CO:CREATE’s curator lists, is really important because it reaches audiences I don’t already have access to.”

-Isar Oakmund