From music to tattooing, Titukh has kept his taste for dark and scary worlds. Originally from Saint Petersburg, the 34-year-old Russian tattoo artist is now based in Salem, USA, a city well known for its witchcraft folklore, which provides an ideal setting for his gloomy creations.
Before you became passionate about tattooing, I think you were in music, right?
Yes, It started my passion in 2007, and for many years I tried to turn it into something more than just a hobby. I even participated in a musical group. Now I have less time to pay attention to it, but it still lives in me, and one day I hope to take it seriously again, as the music is not inferior to the interest in the tattoo.
After music, what happened ?
Before I really started tattooing in 2015, I had already worked in the restaurant industry for several years. I even had ideas to completely immerse myself in it and open my own bar, but at some point I realised that I was tired of standing behind the bar counter, and decided to try my hand at tattooing. Since I was drawing all the time, my friends constantly pushed me to become a tattoo artist. In 2014, I bought my first ink machine, and little by little I began to learn the craft.
You learn by yourself ?
At first I got some information online, as well as consulted with various tattoo artists, and then began practicing at home with my friends and myself. At the same time I was paying close attention to details, such as instrument sterilization, high-quality equipment, etc. A few months later, I managed to collect a small portfolio and get a job in a tattoo shop for the first time. It was not a regular tattoo studio, but a black graphic tattoo shop. I worked there for about 2 years and gained more experience and knowledge. I think of that time with fondness.
You left after two yearswhy?
Then I decided to open my own private room, but it did not last long, as I began to travel to Europe a lot and turned into a guest tattoo artist. And even when I returned to St. Petersburg, I worked as a guest artist at my friend’s studio Inkme up until moving to the USA in December 2021.
You recently left Russia for the United States, is this related to the deterioration of the political situation in your country and the arrival of the war in Ukraine?
The current situation did not affect my move to the USA in any way, since I had arrived here before the events began and could not have predicted it in any way. Because of my travel experience in Europe and US cities, I’ve always wanted to try to live and work in one of the cities I liked. In the USA, I saw an opportunity for growth. Back in 2017, I met the Murray brothers at Black Veil Studios in Salem, MA. I really liked the atmosphere of their work, plus their art really resonated with me. As a result, in 2021 I started planning my trip to the USA and the guys gave me the opportunity to stay and work in their shop. I am incredibly saddened and hurt by such terrible things happening in the modern world. But I love my city, St. Petersburg. All my friends and relatives stayed in Russia, and I look forward to the time when we all will have no barriers to just enjoy life, create, travel, like before.
Discovring a bit about your background, I have the impression that you are the kind of guy who makes decisions quickly.
The decision to move was not spontaneous, it happened over the course of several years while I was traveling and decided to get to know different cultures and life in other countries. I'm not as impulsive as to give up everything, since I have a wife and a child and I have to take care of them. Part of my life is still in Russia; we have parents, friends and relatives there. Now I am working in the USA on a work visa, and some things at this point depend not only on my decision, but also on the current situation. I don't know what will happen in a few years, maybe I'll stay here, maybe I'll be somewhere else.
You are now based in Salem, a town in the USA with a long history of witch folklore. What did you come here for?
I am very glad that I am in Salem now. I really like this town, its atmosphere. I feel comfortable working here because my style is very close to the theme of the city. I found a lot of friends here, and I'm on the same page with clients. I also like the vibe of New England, I love the ocean, nature, there is enough of that here. The city is in a great location, it is small, but there are always a lot of tourists here, especially in the fall. I also absolutely love Boston! If you long for the bustle of the metropolis, you can quickly get there and enjoy the stroll. It is also convenient for my clients to get to our studio from neighbouring states. Overall, I see great advantages working in Salem.
Your style is very dark, like in another genre the Russian tattoo culture. Did it have an influence on you?
When I started tattooing, the black tattoo began to gain popularity and I really liked it. I loved drawing all kinds of monsters and I decided that I could implement my ideas in a tattoo. Among the tattooists, I was truly inspired by several masters, both from Russia and from Europe. Although some of my friends advised me to do different styles of tattooing and thought that this was the only way I would get over it. But I did not change myself, I developed my own style, from the very beginning I made gloomy black tattoos. These were designs with less detail, but I was trying to convey a dark, frightening atmosphere. I am also very glad that since childhood I’ve been surrounded by Russian folklore. I drew many ideas for my designs from it. Some children's fairy-tales are truly scary, but these tales are also rich in various mystical messages.
You never tried to work with colour?
I’ve always worked only with black, sometimes I use greywash and add some white. I’ve never worked with colour and have no desire to work with color tattoos, although I am interested in watching some artists who work in colour and do incredible things.
Where do all these monsters that populate your universe come from?
All my inspiration comes from music, nature, films (fantastic, horror). I am a big fan of heavy music, some musical styles create the perfect atmosphere for me to create, such genres as “black”, “doom metal”, for example. Many ideas for my tattoos are based on my imagination, my clients also give me food for thought. Most of the time my clients give me an idea, and I interpret it and create something unique for them.
The details in your monsters make them fascinating and create an uncomfortable feeling of attraction and repulsion, is this something you like to work on?
If my work evokes emotions, then I can assume that it's not in vain. After all, if it somehow affects people, then this topic hits home for them. Perhaps for someone this is one of the ways of self-expression, to show their monsters, their claws, something that is difficult to express with words.
Are there any monsters you are afraid of?
No, I’ve never had fears of fantasy characters. I now have a little daughter (4.5 years old). At first I was worried that this would somehow affect her. From the very beginning, she was surrounded by what my wife and I are passionate about. It’s just that we didn’t scare her with horror stories and always told her that the picture was just a character, that it was an invention and that he could not do any harm. For example, the skull is a part of our body and we should not be afraid of it, etc. And now I noticed that she finds my designs interesting, she can color them in pink and then she says that she decorated them. Sometimes we can come up with stories about these characters together. She likes all sorts of dark Halloween things (especially in Salem they can be found in abundance) along with princesses and unicorns.
Are there any dark/horror works (books, paintings, etc.) by Russian artists that you would like to share?
Unfortunately, I can’t advise something unusual that I really would like to note. Everything that I know from typical Russian horror stories, most likely everyone knows. I’m not a big fan of Russian cinema and not a big fan of reading. But I have an idea that I can share. Currently, classical folk chants are unpopular, many have completely forgotten about them. But I discovered them for myself many years ago. I really like the folk songs of the Don and Kuban Cossacks, Ukrainian folk songs. I also love Orthodox church chanting. Folk songs very often use mournful plots, really dark metaphors. The lyrics are captivating with their gloom. It really influences me in terms of inspiration for creativity.
Which tattoo artists do you consider to be among the masters of graphic horror at the moment?
Here are a few artists I would like to highlight: Alessandro (@neroatto ), a good Italian friend of mine who does some great creepy designs; Matt (@mattwmurray) and Ryan (@ryanmrray) Murray whose witchcraft style is mesmerising; Kristina (@she_is) who I call the queen of mystical tattoos in Russia. But also Deni Aktemirov (@deni_aktemirov) who I consider one of the giants of Russian black tattooing; Jean Choir (@jeanchoir_tattoo) my French friend who surprises with his fantastic tattoo solutions; Matt (@mattchaos_ttt) with his unique style; MATTEO (@maldenti_), a tattoo artist from Berlin who I had the honour to meet a few years ago; and finally Florian (@strange_dust), another talented artist I met in Lyon, France. He has a very recognisable style. + IG : @t_i_t_u_k_h
