Japanese Woodblock Prints Reimagined as Quirky Contemporary Tattoos

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Toulouse-based tattoo artist Maxime Gautron—better known as Brindi—boasts an eclectic ink oeuvre. With an interest in Japanese woodblock prints, he predominantly creates contemporary and cartoon-like Japanese style tattoos.

Each inked work of art by Brindi cleverly combines art of the past with modern-day trends and interests. Many of his Japanese tattoos portray a likeness to traditional Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Ukiyo-e—a term that translates to “pictures of the floating world”—is characterized by a rich and diverse color palette, shallow picture planes, unconventional compositions, and undeniably Japanese subject matter. Many of Brindi's tattoos are clearly inspired by this art form, and some of them even put a pop culture spin on the prints. Dinosaurs, UFOs, and even The Simpsons are just some of the quirky figures to make unexpected appearances in Brindi's reimagined Japanese tattoos.

In addition to his fantastic use of allusion, Brindi's tattoos are also celebrated for their inventive iconography. Though some of them are subtle in their peculiarity and could even pass as standard works of Japanese art, many of his pieces are unmistakably original. From a snake composed of donuts to a modern landscape full of dinosaurs, the whimsical scenes imagined by Brindi perfectly capture his creative spirit and one-of-a-kind approach to body art.

French artist Brindi creates Japanese style tattoos inspired by Japanese woodblock prints.

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoos Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Japanese Tattoo Japanese Style Tattoos Japanese Woodblock Prints Brindi

Brindi: WebsiteInstagram | FacebookShop
h/t: [Illusion]

All images via Brindi. 

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The Art and Beauty of Japanese Tattoos

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Tattooist Fuses Contemporary Freehand Techniques with Traditional Japanese Themes

Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
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