CURATED BY MAXIME PLESCIA-BUCHI
About the List
Maxime Plescia-Buchi’s curated selection, Pioneers of Blackwork Tattooing, honors the innovators who established a visual language beyond mainstream tattoo aesthetics. These artists redefined what tattooing could convey, transcending American traditionalism and Japanese iconography, thereby creating space for new forms of symbolism, technique, and cultural dialogue. Drawing from mysticism, historical art, graphic design, and body-conscious composition, this list highlights those who infused coherence, rigor, and spiritual resonance into Blackwork. For Maxime, this genre is not just about the absence of color - it represents a convergence of lineage, intention, and cultural architecture inked on skin.
About Maxime Plescia-Buchi
Maxime Plescia-Buchi is a Swiss-born Artist, designer, and founder of Sang Bleu, an independent, multi-disciplinary media platform and creative agency. With a background in publishing and philosophy, he has been at the forefront of redefining tattoo culture for the 21st century. Professionally tattooing since the late 2000s, Maxime was instrumental in articulating and popularizing Blackwork, though he resists the term "style" as reductive. His work merges Renaissance engraving, esoteric symbolism, and meticulous technique into large-scale, body-conscious compositions that feel both ancient and hyper-modern. Maxime’s influence goes well beyond the tattoo chair. Through his writing, publishing, and curation, he’s become a key voice in exploring the deeper meaning and historical foundations of tattooing.
“The pioneers of Blackwork didn’t just influence tattooing - they defined a new language for symbolism, history, and the body.” -Maxime Plescia-Buchi
“Style isn’t enough. What matters is the iconography, the symbolism, the story you carry through your tattoos.” -Maxime Plescia-Buchi
“Tattooing rewires how you think and behave. There’s no Plan B when it becomes your life.” -Maxime Plescia-Buchi
Maxime selected each Artist based on the following principles:
- Cultural and Symbolic Lineage – Artists who embedded deeper meaning into form, drawing from spiritual, historical, or esoteric reference points.
- Technical Rigor – Masters of composition, dot work, and black saturation who innovated the flow of tattoos with the body.
- Generational Impact – Pioneers whose work directly shaped two or more generations of Blackwork artists.
- Resistance to Trend – Artists who practiced with conviction and continuity, even when outside the mainstream or social media spotlight.
Pioneers of Blackwork Tattooing
Curated by Maxime Plescia-Buchi
Los Angeles
Book NowCollin Gribbons
New York City
Book NowMaxime Plescia-Buchi
New York City
Book NowSteph Tamez
Victoria
Book NowBrianna Chatwin
Los Angeles
Book NowTanner Ramsey
London
Book NowAnt the Elder
Denver
Justin Bell
San Francisco
Victor J Webster
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