Shade to Black

Tattoos are in the bloodstream of Los Angeles-based artist ROXX, who started her career in the 1980s London punk scene. It all started from the outside looking in where the tattoo underworld was closely guarded by a colorful group of dedicated purists who believed there was no room for women in the industry. “I was told women didn’t tattoo,” ROXX said.

This group of mostly men was part of a larger group of eccentric characters that included the LGBTQ+ community, punks, bikers, and the BDSM crowd, looking to find others on the fringe. Their skin markings brought them together, especially those bold enough to ink their hands, neck, or face. “What used to be counterculture has become totally normal,” ROXX said.

Nowadays, those with tattoos are a mix of professionals and working-class people looking for a memory to share with others. But the most dedicated among them are those who know the amount of work and perseverance it takes to sit through multiple sessions to get what they want.

In her early career, ROXX was influenced by traditional and Indigenous tribal work, and then she grew into her own style. This shift of borrowing from other cultures and designs to finding her inspiration from within helped her become one of the most sought-after blackwork artists on the planet.

Her evolution took the power of those strong, bold, designs with deep cultural meaning and transformed them into her own for clients who want the same feeling. “It’s more fun to create something original,” ROXX said. “Something that’s purely a product of my own creativity.”

These solid, geometric, and often uniform designs come from her love of nature; the repetitive designs seen everywhere in plants, leaves, and shells are a huge inspiration for ROXX who doesn’t want to follow the current trends in the industry. “I see tattoos as an external statement of the internal spirit,’’ she said.

The self-taught visual dialogue ROXX shares with a growing list of A-list clientele, are often for first tattoos. Her sophisticated technique looks at designs from a microscopic level, and offers a collaborative relationship between the artist and client, resulting in a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

The beauty surrounding her California lifestyle has undoubtedly influenced her work over the past 20 years, but ROXX also draws from her time in the U.K. and the roots of growing up around the punk movement of the 80s; it’s a culmination of all her experiences, hard work, and those who came before her. “Growing up in London really shaped the intensity of what I do,” she said.

ROXX’s aptitude for blackout work allows clients to move past the memories tied to old tattoos. She also does cover-up work and understands the suffering people feel from work they’ve outgrown.

“When it’s designed well, blackwork is really striking and beautiful,” ROXX said. Her painstaking blackwork has the power to reinvent how others see themselves with intricate designs and geometry as well as solid lines and complete coverage of something they no longer connect with.

Exhibits at MoMA have displayed ROXX’s art, she’s done collaborations in fashion and design, and she’s advocated for her LGBTQ+ community her whole career. She treats all her clients like VIPs and understands the responsibility and pressure associated with any large piece. Recently, ROXX had the opportunity to do a big cover-up for actor and musician Machine Gun Kelly and treated the process the same as every piece.

ROXX learned to trust her instincts and lean on the 40 years of experience gathered in the industry. She knows clients are entrusting her expertise, and when she sees their excitement with her vision, she can finally relax and get to work; her main goal is to make her clients happy.

ROXX said she always felt like somewhat of an outsider, even in the tattoo world, which helped her build an original vision and learn how to become self-reliant in a workspace that wasn’t always as supportive in the past as it is in 2024. Tattoo trends come and go and those who continue to learn, push, and move forward tend to carve their path and space in the culture.

It’s hard to exist as an artist in this world and ROXX doesn’t take for granted the success she earned through her art and dedication to her craft. “It’s an incredible honor to be chosen, especially by people who could go to anyone in the world,” she said.

Looking toward the future, ROXX said she doesn’t plan anything out but anticipates exploring new realms in her tattoo work. She has her fingers in many different artistic pots, taking photos and creating art outside of her time in the studio, and she’s excited to see where the inspiration takes her.

Through her struggles to establish respect for women in the tattoo world and redefining her style and influences over the years, ROXX arrived ahead of the curve with her original, bold designs, transforming how people feel about themselves. She’s revolutionizing blackwork, connecting the interface between ink and the human form.

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