handpoke, or stick and poke is the original art of tattooing. This is how it all started, with some kind of needle and ash or soot as form of ink. No machine to help, only the slow art of patience when painting the body dot by dot by hand.

I connect to this slow and meditative form of art, passed on by our ancestors, in every tattoo I do. It is a sacred process between the artist and the carrier of art, in which the aim is for both parties to look at the final result and feel a pulsing, full body yes.

For me tattooing is a ritual, a mixing of energies, and a form of making the world more beautiful by putting small reminders or symbols on our skin. It is not to be taken lightly, it is a bond for a lifetime. At the same time don´t stress about "how will it look when i am 70" because you might not even live that long... if it feels right to you in this very specific moment of your journey and you feel you want to bookmark this page in your book of life, I invite you to come tattoo with me.

I do handpoke tattoos in Ericeira, Portugal. You can book a session on my instagram barbaramar_handpoke or through my contact form. I am excited and honoured to see you soon!!