Tattoo artist Artem Alekhin (Aleki / @aleki_blue) is originally from Moscow but is now based in Miami, often working conventions and travelling for guest spots. This is his story, in his own words – how he got started, his background in fine art, why he has no tattoos himself and how his medical background helps him create tattoos that flow with the body…
Guest spots are a big part of my schedule, throughout the year I travel regularly across the United States. I often book guest appointments ahead of time.
I also participate in tattoo conventions. I love conventions for the atmosphere and the community – being surrounded by talented artists, meeting new people, exchanging ideas and learning something.
I’ve been invited to judge at conventions, which I take seriously – it’s a huge responsibility.
But my relationship with art started long before tattooing. As a teenager, I went to art school, it gave me a strong foundation in composition, observation and visual language. I’m genuinely grateful for that training as it shaped my eye and my discipline. But at a certain point I felt a strong need to develop something more personal, so I left art school before finishing the course and continued growing independently as an artist.
I focused on fine art and painting to create original work in my own visual language – and people responded to it. My paintings started to sell, I got commissions and that early demand gave me confidence. It pushed me to trust my vision, stand behind my style and keep developing it without watering it down.
Later, I had the opportunity to exhibit my work at the Erarta Museum in Saint Petersburg, which is the largest private museum of contemporary art in Russia. That was a major milestone for me. It made me much more serious about what it means to build a body of work with consistency and identity.
After high school, I actually pursued pharmaceutical studies. It might seem a far-cry from art, but it shaped the way I work – with patience, precision and a deep respect for the human body.
I’ve been tattooing for a little over four and a half years now. Tattooing came into my life through a friend – it wasn’t part of my world before that. But the moment I tried it, it felt right. After that, I started studying, learning from every source I could find, practicing on fake skin, breaking down technique and building my control step by step. And somewhere in that process I felt something familiar, that I could bring my own vision into tattooing the same way I did in fine art. Not just “do tattoos,” but create work with identity, intention and a unique point of view.
I started tattooing in 2021 and in 2022 I relocated to the United States – it was that move that gave me a real boost as an artist. Being in a new environment with people who are open, expressive and willing to trust personal ideas pushed me to grow faster and refine my style. I was exposed to new visual references and different stories, which helped me develop a stronger sense of identity in my work.
My style blends micro-realism with geometric structure and symbolism. I’m drawn to the contrast between lifelike detail and clean, architectural elements, which helps the tattoo stay organised, balanced and readable.
In the beginning, I was focused on realism, honing in on detail, texture and the challenge of making an image feel alive on skin. With time, my work evolved into a clearer visual language, one where realism and structure support each other. I’d build compositions that can hold multiple meaningful elements. The goal is always a tattoo where every element is placed for a reason and every piece is designed to feel cohesive on the body.
Geometry became a key part of my style because it creates rhythm, spacing and a clear hierarchy. It allows the eye to move through the tattoo naturally and it keeps the realism readable instead of being visually crowded.
Technically, I’m focused on precision and longevity. I build tattoos in layers by combining the stability of linework with soft shading and smooth visual transitions to create depth. I pay close attention to spacing, contrast and placement, because micro-realism isn’t only about making something small, it’s about making it stay clear after it heals and also the years that follow The goal is always clean healing and long-term clarity, so the tattoo keeps its structure over time.
One thing that’s especially important, particularly with geometry and fine line is how the linework heals. Fine-line tattoos can look perfect when they’re fresh, but over time lines can soften, spread or lose their structure. That’s why I’ve spent years developing my own method specifically for applying lines. It’s about control of depth, pressure, speed and consistency. Also knowing how to adjust to different skin types so the line settles cleanly. I want to tattoo linework that doesn’t just look sharp on day one, but heals crisp, stays readable and holds its structure for years to come.
People come to me because they recognise my visual language and they want their story translated through it. My clients can be completely different, but they share one thing: they’re not looking for a tattoo that’s just a nice image. They want meaning, something personal they can carry with them always.
Some people arrive with a clear concept and strong references whereas others come with a feeling, a memory or a life event they want to turn into something visual. I enjoy it all – my job isn’t to just place an image on skin but to build something that fits the person and makes sense as a tattoo, especially when there are multiple meaningful elements involved.
I like to start with a real conversation to understand what matters most. My client’s story, the mood, the key symbols, then I guide the structure of the piece. Placement is a big part of the process, so I ask for photos of the area in advance and design specifically for my client’s body. Visual references help us communicate the direction, but the final design is always reworked and composed into something original, built for the client’s anatomy.
To me the process of getting tattooed is incredibly important. A lot of people come with something very personal behind their ideas, such as a memory, a loss, a big change, a decision or a new chapter in their life. Often they’ve been through something that made them stronger, and they want a tattoo that reflects that, not just visually, but emotionally too.
For many of my clients, getting tattooed becomes an emotional ritual. The time, the focus, and even the pain can matter. These can turn an internal experience into something real, that you can carry with you. That’s why I keep the session calm and respectful with clear communication, no rushing and creating a space where the client feels safe.
I don’t have any tattoos and I get a lot of questions about that. People are usually surprised, especially because tattooing is such a big part of my life.
The simple truth is that I don’t want to get tattooed just to get tattooed. I love the culture, and I genuinely respect and admire the work of so many artists around me, but I’ve never wanted to put something on my body just to “fit the image” of what a tattoo artist should look like. For me, it has to feel right from the idea to the timing and of course the artist.
I know my first tattoo will happen. I just want it to be intentional and personal, not a checkbox.
I think the tattoo industry is entering a very saturated era. There are more artists than ever, and that creates pressure on everyone . Now clients have endless options, trends move fast and it’s easier for artists to get lost in the noise. Because of that, having a clear visual style matters more than ever. The artists who stand out will be the ones who know what they stand for. Those tattooers with a consistent style, a strong point of view and a professional way of working that clients can trust.
For my own future, I want to keep building exactly that. I want my work to be instantly recognisable and a process that stays consistent no matter where I’m working. I’ll keep travelling and working with clients across the US, but I also want to develop more projects that go beyond day-to-day appointments. I want to make deeper bodies of work and take on projects that allow the work to have impact, not only on skin but beyond it.
Thank you Aleki for chatting to us and being part of Things & Ink! Follow Aleki on Instagram to see more tattoos and get booked in.
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