“I imagined people who are active, free-spirited, and not afraid of bold, memorable visuals.”
We caught up with Berlin-based tattoo artist Kristina Darmaeva to talk about her latest collaboration with us. The new Artist series brings her detailed, illustrative style off skin and onto wood.
Drawing from folklore, fairytales, video games, and darker visual worlds, Kristina’s work is all about mood, story, and striking composition. For this collection, she leaned into that freedom, creating bold designs made to move.
We spoke to her about her influences, her process, and what it was like designing beyond the limits of tattooing.
“Tattooing comes with limitations—skin changes over time. Designing for skateboards gave me a completely different kind of freedom.”
The Full Interview.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Your name, where you’re from and what you do?
My name is Kristina Darmaeva. I’m originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and I currently live and work in Berlin, Germany.
When did you decide you wanted to be a tattoo artist?
From early childhood I always wanted to become an artist and spent a lot of time drawing. However, I started drawing in a more conscious and focused way when I decided to become a tattoo artist.
How would you describe your artistic style in your own words?
I’m strongly inspired by book illustrations, so this influence is very present in my work. I also collect illustrated books, which continuously inspires my visual language. So let’s call it illustrative graphic style.
What themes or ideas tend to appear repeatedly in your work and why?
I’m very interested in folklore and fairytales, and I also love video games. I think a lot of my inspiration comes from these worlds. In addition, I’m drawn to horror aesthetics (both films and games) which also influences the atmosphere and mood of my designs.
How did designing for a skateboard differ from creating a tattoo for a human body and how easy is it to translate your style from skin to wood?
Working on skin comes with many limitations. Skin ages and changes over time and lives together with the person wearing the tattoo, so this always has to be taken into account during the design process. When working on paper or other surfaces like skateboards, there is more freedom and creative flexibility, which makes the process very exciting.
Can you talk through the inspiration behind the designs you created for Arbor?
I was inspired by the brand’s aesthetic and tried to imagine people who are active, free-spirited, and drawn to bold, memorable designs and strong illustrative visuals.
What’s your process? When you’re starting a piece of work, what’s the first thing you do? How do you tackle it?
My workflow usually starts with searching for interesting references and building visual inspiration. Then I create rough sketches and experiment with composition. Once I find the right structure, I move on to the final drawing.
When I’m drawing, I prefer to work alone and fully focused (only my dog is allowed to interrupt 😅). I usually listen to music or podcasts while working. It’s a very intensive process that requires a lot of concentration and energy.
