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Thursday, December 14, 2023

Inking Well

Stories that aim to capture, catalogue and celebrate Chicago’s tattoo art.

A Shel Silverstein-inspired tattoo that features two sketched characters hugging one another.
In Lake View man’s tattoos, a nostalgic cast of characters
By Katie Anthony
 
Askhat Kobekpaev and Kate Herrington married in 2017 after meeting on Tinder. She inspired him to become a tattoo artist.
From Tinder to tattoo artist and Kazakhstan to Chicago
By Mary Norkol
 
Bradley Parker-Sparrow, a professional musician and producer for 50 years, sits at his piano in his Lake View home.
Bradley Parker-Sparrow’s album tattoos are a tribute to the start of his jazz career
By Katie Anthony
 
Lynne Ingersoll, 78, has gotten 11 tattoos in the past three decades, mostly of big cats and other animals.
At 78, this retired librarian from Blue Island has 11 tattoos
By Katie Anthony
 
Crystal McHenry shows off “get what you get” tattoos she got from Brown Brothers Tattoo in Humboldt Park.
These Chicago tattoo parlors let chance (and a gumball machine) choose your design
By Mary Norkol
 
BriElle Munizzi’s tattoo on her upper right arm that spells out “Sun-Times” in tribute to her family’s Sunday morning ritual when she was growing up of reading the paper together.
Ex-South Sider BriElle Munizzi’s tattoo pays tribute to her family’s Sunday ritual: reading the Sun-Times
By Katie Anthony
 
Graham Ellinghausen, 26, got the Marina Towers tattooed on his thigh after living there when he moved to Chicago after college.
Why a former Marina Towers resident got a tattoo of the corncob buildings
By Katie Anthony
 
Elisa Espinosa and Zach Gronewold hold hands at their wedding reception last month. Espinosa’s tattoo was customized to complement her dress.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something tattooed
By Mary Norkol
 
Adam Goldberg shows off his bike tattoo and the bike he inherited from his family.
This bike helped Adam Goldberg find solace during the pandemic, so he had it tattooed on his thigh
By Mary Norkol
 
Kiran Rafi, a photographer and barista at Portage Grounds, has numerous tattoos.
Kiran Rafi’s tattoos are a constant reminder of what’s important to the Portage Park barista
By Katie Anthony
 
White Sox Michael Kopech’s left arm is filled with tattoos that reflect his spirituality, including imagery of angels.
Michael Kopech’s right arm is for throwing, but Sox pitcher’s left arm is for tattoos.
By Katie Anthony
 
Navy veteran Sabrina Waller got “peace” tattooed on her forearm in a graffiti style by artist Erie CMW.
West suburban Navy veteran finds ‘peace’ in her post-duty tattoos
By Katie Anthony
 
Nico Roberts’ goal is to be covered “neck-to-toe” in body art, most recently completing his palm tattoos.
From palms to, yes, his eyelids, Nico Roberts views his body as a ‘canvas’ for tattoo art
By Katie Anthony
 
Student-turned-artist Abby Pedota works on a tattoo for current student Julian Terrazas at Illinois Tattoo School and Exodus Ink.
Summit tattoo shop and school, a family operation, gives female artists a seat behind the needle
By Katie Anthony
 
Paige Mestan’s guitar tattoo lines up with the real instrument when she plays.
Floral, heart-shaped guitar tattoo’s the culmination of Paige Mestan’s experiences
By Katie Anthony
 
Isabella Snow and Noah Nichols, who got matching tattoos to memorialize a crash they were in on their first date — and falling in love.
Chicago love story: Couple’s matching tattoos are about their relationship — and the crash they experienced on their first date
By Sun-Times staff
 
Alana Blanchard, 24, has symmetrical tiger tattoos on each side of her torso, framing a flower arrangement.
A tattoo surprise: North suburban woman gets twin tiger tattoos, then finds her mother had one, too
By Katie Anthony
 
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