If you ever thought drawing on paper could be tough, tattoo artist Arbel’s work exists just to make you push your imagination even further on what’s possible when it comes to illustrating. It’s actually hard to believe her artwork is being done on skin, as she’s managed to achieve via tattoo’s what many of us fight to achieve in a sketchbook – compelling subject matter, precise linework, and insane attention to detail. Although somewhat known for her celebrity tattoo work, we think that’s the least interesting thing about her practice. She has mastered things like distortion and metallic sheen, which in our opinion has catapulted her body of work from that of a tattoo portfolio to a comprehensive and inventive art practice.
Even if you had no idea how difficult it can be to create a high-quality tattoo, what Arbel is tattooing is captivating enough. From distorted pierrot clowns with four eyes to nuns on scooters or a man falling through the air being dragged by a weight, you never really know what to expect from the next tattoo, and we mean that in the best way possible. The first of her work that we came across were the pieces emulating a chrome-like shine, which really had us in a daze as it wasn’t something we’d ever seen before. Although we’re still not quite sure how she does it, it’s probably one of the most interesting and eye-catching series of work we’ve seen in a long time.
There really isn’t a word or phrase to define her work, but it’s incredibly engrossing and will leave you wondering how you didn’t know it existed until now. She’s based in Los Angeles but travels frequently to tattoo in different cities. You can check out her gallery and book a tattoo with her here or follow her on Instagram here.
