Gakkin is a (mainly) blackwork and freehand artist working out of Amsterdam after first working in Kyoto.

Blackwork raven across the back of the neck.

Large octopus sleeve and chest piece.

Bodysuit featuring birds, flowers, wind, and clouds.

Huge snake torso piece.

His pieces are all large scale. Full sleeves, large torso pieces, back pieces, and bodysuits.

Gruesome namakubi (severed head), with hair that flows into an almost cloudlike state.

Massive crane back piece with clouds, waves, and koi.

Negative space stomach hannya as part of a full bodysuit of mainly solid black.

Red flowers on heavy black leg sleeve, with white spider web.

He collaborates often now with another Japanese blackwork artist, Nissaco. The two work well together, and their pieces flow seamlessly into each other.

Bright flowers within a dark backdrop.

Chrysanthemum with Japanese noh mask.

Back of a bodysuit featuring negative space geometric designs.

Beautiful blackwork moon and cloud back piece.

His work is largely inspired by nature. Everything from wind, water, flowers, mountains, the sun, and the moon, and animals.

Large brushstroke style.

Geometric, blackwork sleeve.

Large chrysanthemum as part of a sleeve.

Gakkin also takes direct inspiration from ancient Japanese painters, adding his own interpretations.

Waves and wind in these nature sleeves.

Part of a bodysuit featuring wind and waves.

Bright red flowers on heavy black.

Though he mainly works with black, he does also add splashes of red to draw the eye. In an interview with Tattoo Life, he said about working with black “I believe that black is the most important color in tattooing. Every ancient tattooing culture – Maori, Japanese, and Polynesian – considers it as such. It just works better than any other color on the skin.” (www.tattoolife.com)

kuchisake-onna ghost, from stories dating back to the Edo period.

Tsuchigumo, the Japanese spider demon.

Collaboration piece done with Nissaco at the London tattoo convention 2017.

Which piece is your favourite?