The Coolest Tattoo Studios in Hong Kong to Get Inked At

Long gone is the attitude and stigma tattoos have in Hong Kong. Inspired by the underground culture of Japan, Hong Kongers have forced a wider acceptance of tattoos ever since the city hosted the International Hong Kong Tattoo Convention beginning in 2012.

In the city today, a tattoo is the bravest, most raw form of art to relay a thought, story, or identity to yourself and others. With no shortage of innovative and daring tattoo artists in Hong Kong, any design or creation is feasible in the hands of the city’s inkers and painters of skin.

Scroll down to source inspiration from Hong Kong’s coolest tattoo studios to get your skin inked at and have your designs painted permanently and decadently.

Star Crossed Tattoo

The Wan Chai Sun Street tattoo studio assumes a soothing and neighbourhood feel of the neighbouring Star Street area – homely décor, comfy sofas, bold colours of tattoos and art, and a friendly team of South Africans Ross Phipson and Rich Turpin and local artist Cathy.

A cash-only operation, the threesome team specialise in distinct design styles and approaches to their ink. Artist Ross, signed with Young Soy Gallery, incorporates bold thick lines and colours to paint cartoon-style pieces, whilst full-body diagonal Japanese-style designs are core to tattooists Rich and Cathy.

Location: Star Crossed Tattoo, 1/F, 1 Sun Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Mofo Tattoo

The tattoo studio secretive with an address only revealed to clients (we Googled!), Mofo Tattoo digs deep into an underground Hong Kong sub-cultural design, with a space decorated with lucky fortune red ornaments, Japanese vinyl and film covers, curving wooden furniture, and a beaming neon-light sign, beckoning to the days of Hong Kong’s popular street icon.

Mofo’s youthful tattooist team – Lilycash Chan, Karl Hung, Jimma, Vincent, Tapz, Cristo – infuse popular youth culture and vibrant neon and rich colours into their designs, which have attracted a wealth of followers online to the studio’s mastery of trendy tattoos.

Location: Mofo Tattoo, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Mei Wah Tattoo

Hidden in a labyrinth of crusty Mong Kok buildings, the Mei Wah Tattoo studio is decked out in vintage Hong Kong art and Chinese paintings and wall-décor, exuding a historic feel to the space. Local tattoo artist legend and owner Nic Tse runs the shop at Mei Wah, orchestrating orders for tattoos of all sizes, shapes, and influencers.

With a revolving rota of foreign residents working the shop at Mei Wah, appointments can be made to get sketches of traditional Chinese floral and dragon designs, British sailor tattoos, religious-themed sketches, cute Hong Kong-influenced characters, and experimental organic black tattoos. Detail and size are key at the Mong Kok shop

Location: Mei Wah Tattoo, 4/F, 695-709 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Blackout Tattoo Hong Kong

Veteran tattoo artist Rob Kelly has manned one of Hong Kong’s most popular tattoo studios, Blackout Tattoo, nestled in the bustle of Sheung Wan, with a tight-knit clan of artists painting clients’ skin.

At Star Crossed, regular customers have familiarised themselves with Rob’s unique artistic style: new school tattoos featuring “big, thick, bold, heavy lines, bright colour, and graffiti-esque" and creations taking inspiration from Japanese style — elegant, detailed, and highly symbolic.

Location: Blackout Tattoo, 102 Hing Tai Commercial Building, 114 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Galaxy Tattoo

Galaxy Tattoo is an easy studio to get tatted at, with a welcome approach to customising tattoos of all sizes and shapes for their customers and a team well-versed in black tattoos, stick and poke, Japanese, old-school, sailor tats, and colour work.

Owner and tattooist Dust Wu Shun-yung and his right-hand woman Mari Cheung have grown a cult following on Instagram for their portrayal of eretheral cyberpunk female figures and birds, symmetrical Japanese tats, and traditional Chinese tattoos featuring flowing characters and symbolic imagery.

Location: Galaxy Tattoo, Shop 2C, G/F, Siu Cheung Building, Siu Cheung Fong, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong

Fridays Tattoo HK

Standing in Causeway Bay’s uber-hip and underground Haven Street complex, Fridays Tattoo HK is Hong Kong’s premium tattoo studio, established in 2016 by tattooists Wang Pang and Jamie Kam as a space to relax, collaborate, and get comfortable.

Fridays’ team of five local tattoo artists, who trained in the city and honed their skills at top studios, offer a range of designs and styles at an affordable price. As the studio say themselves, “there’s no reason to be stressed out over a tattoo, just chill, come discuss with our artist and have a cup of tea, we believe that art will sort itself out.”

Location: Fridays Tattoo HK, 9A Haven Street, Lei Ha Court, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Don.JAYTattoo

The eponymous Don Jay of Don.JAYTattoo studios, runs Hong Kong’s only Filipino-owned tattoo studio, introducing his ancestral culture in bold, decorative arm limb-length tattoos to overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong and those interested in his technical design.

Whilst Don has inked body tattoos on clients eretheral using the ancient Baybayin alphabet and experimented with the traditional indigenous art of batok tattoos — ink pressed into the skin using a sharp bamboo needle — Don also specialises in Hong Kong-inspired designs, including junk boats, Bauhinia flower, and Chinese characters.

Location: Don.JAYTattoo, Unit 504, 5/F, Hollywood Centre, No. 77-91, Queen's Rd West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Cubist Tattoo

Cubist Tattoo has always been a favoured choice for Hong Kongers wishing to decorate their skin, conveniently located in Lan Kwai Fong (which may have led to a few too many drunk choices too). The edgy studio is adept at any style of tattoo your heart desires.

The one-man show led by piercer, tattooist, and business owner Jason Choi is honest and open about the entire process of being tattooed, from placement, design, and selection, to healing guidance and advice on your next ink adventure.

Location: Cubist Tattoo, 4/F, 7 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong

ZINK Tattoo

This funky tattoo studio in the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui champions an underground and dark tattoo aesthetic, with a synonymous style of tattooing unbelievably detailed portraits of clients' favourite people, animals, and places.

Husband and wife tattoo couple owner Zac Wong and Vivi join their mastery of more than 15 years tattooing Hong Kongers and creating custom one-of-a-kind inks based on clients' needs and wants, with styles drawing from surrealism, cartoons, Buddhist iconography, Chinese-Hong Kong art design, and more.

Location: ZINK Tattoo, 3/F, 30A Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

The Company Tattoo HK

The Company Tattoo is a Mong Kok favourite with tattooed Hong Kongers, harbouring a dark and grungy space for artist trio Vince Yue, Dave Ryo Lau, and Jamie Kam, among three other local artists to flex their tattooing skills and for clients to get a feel of a nostalgic ‘90s Hong Kong environment.

Styles and designs are varied and unique with the team of six artists and one apprentice defining The Company Tattoo’s style as black bold and cartoonish, with seamless colour shading and Rockabilly influence.

Location: The Company Tattoo, Room B, 3/F, 581 Nathan Road, Mong Kok, Kowloon