tattoo shops Archives

As they gear up for their grand opening, SinnerG Tattoos lets us know what to expect from their haunted-house-style tattoo shop.

As dark arts enthusiasts and intricate artists, local couple Sabrina Elliotte and Jorge “Gwooki” Aguirre look the part — and they’re damn good at what they do. Talented as the pair are, they’re just as friendly as they were when they started working together back in the 2000s. Now, though, they’ve got significantly more body modifications and vintage clothes — and they’re bringing real artistry to their tattoos.

Gwooki specializes in dark, surreal, and biomechanical tattoos, which are less about the object itself and more about textures.

“I like doing more blackwork,” said Elliotte, speaking about a form of black and grey realism that is created through use of black ink.

SinnerG Tattoos‘s brick-and-mortar location, which will soon open at 315 W. Broad Street, is set to bring haunted house elements into the world of the tattoo shop.

“It’s going to look like a haunted house from the way it’s designed, but it’s not actually going to be a haunted house,” said Elliotte. “It’s going to be more of a walkthrough gallery with scares set up.”

The couple has been collecting the items they plan to decorate the shop with for years, starting around a decade ago. Among other items, SinnerG will have a skull from Borneo, in addition to both a voodoo skull and a skeleton from the 1800s.

“It’s going to look like you’re in a haunted house — it’s not going to be just a store,” said Gwooki. “It’s going to have walls that look like catacombs, and [a dark atmosphere]. It’ll be like a haunted-house gallery where we sell art, have installations, and also a work area where we tattoo.”

They’re adding a museum-like context to the gallery, providing historical and evolutionary facts about their artifacts.

“We’ve got a French bulldog skull,” said Gwooki, “and we’re going to have the skull of a [natural] dog next to it, so people can see how deformed their skulls are because of the way humans have bred them.”

Having heard all of that, you might expect some supernatural aspect to be present in the shop. However, the couple are not superstitious. Not even a little bit.

“Maybe that’s why, because I’m not scared of it. It’s like, challenging it. I think that I try to get people to be less superstitious, actually,” said Gwooki.

“For me, it’s very liberating,” said Elliotte. “I don’t find it dark — to me, it’s beautiful. Other people, they see these skulls and think of death, but to me, it’s just a cycle of life. You’re celebrating life, almost, or seeing a part of history. A lot of people are into antiques, so when I see a skull from Borneo, I think, ‘Whoa, this is interesting! I want to know why these people did this.’ It makes me want to do research, versus someone seeing a skeleton and thinking, ‘I don’t want to touch that, that’s a dead person.’”

They may not believe in fate or superstition, but SinnerG’s owners have had some pretty wicked events happen to them. Gwooki got a chance to tattoo one of his personal heroes (and a Richmond legend), Dave Brockie of GWAR, before he passed away.

“That was a huge honor,” said Gwooki. Gwooki explains that GWAR’s entire presence as a band was a major formative influence, one that helped lead to his tattooing Brockie in the first place.

“I’m a big fan of GWAR. They changed my life since I was a kid, in a sense of feeling more comfortable of who I was. Seeing their costumes and seeing them perform helped me [feel comfortable being myself],” said Gwooki. “At one of their shows, I saw him walk by in the crowd, and I asked if I could take a picture with him. He said sure, and before he left I left I gave him a flier of my whole portfolio printed.”

As for the supernatural side of things, Gwooki’s thoughts have evolved over time.

“When I was a kid — when I did believe in it — supernatural stuff did happen to me,” he said. “Then as I got older, I took psychology classes and started second-guessing it. Now, I think it was just chemicals in my brain making me believe something that wasn’t actually happening.”

Nonetheless, spooky tales and imagery retain an undeniable hold over him.

“I’ve always liked dark stuff, since I was a kid. In cartoons, I always liked the bad guy more,” Gwooki laughed.

“I personally believe that a lot of the dark things that people see usually aren’t [dark], and the things that are supposed to be presented as ‘good’ are secretively more evil than the things presented as dark,” said Elliotte.

“It’s like any other superstition,” Gwooki said. “It works for people who believe in it, but when you don’t believe, it doesn’t work.”

SinnerG’s brick-and-mortar location isn’t open yet, but you can get in contact with them via their website, sinnergtattoos.com. Or you can call them on the phone, at (804)429-9666 — and no, the last three digits were not a coincidence.

“We just asked if, by any chance, we could get a different number ending in 666,” Elliotte said with a grin. “Somebody’s got to have it. It was funny to us, just a little touch. It’s just a number, right?”

If you agree, SinnerG just might be the tattoo shop for you.

Photos via SinnerG Tattoos

Bad luck turns good inside a tattoo shop. Get behind the scenes of Friday the 13th with Yellow Bird Tattoo and Lucky 13.

For most people, Friday the 13th is a symbol of bad luck. But for several Richmond tattoo parlors, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: it’s a long standing tradition for many shops to hold Friday the 13th flash sales, providing opportunities for customers to receive specialty tattoos at a discounted rate.

“There’s a lot of preparation that goes into this day,” said Yellow Bird Tattoo apprentice Zac Clark.

PHOTO: Joseph Fessman Tattoo by Arianna Coghill

Since late 2017, Clark has been an apprentice at the shop, learning the ins and outs of tattooing under the parlor’s owner, Joseph Fessman. Fessman first opened the shop in 2016 after the passing of his mentor, Richie Pan.

For Fessman, Friday the 13th provides the perfect opportunity for his artists to showcase their talents and create repeat customers.

“We do things a little bit different. Instead of smaller tattoos for thirteen dollars, we’ll do bigger pieces,” Fessman said. “That way they’re not getting some rinky-dink tattoo. They’re getting something a little nicer and actually come back for another.”

At Yellow Bird Tattoo, the preparation for September’s event began bright and early at 9am. The artists were busy sanitizing, cleaning, and stocking supplies.

PHOTO: Yellow Bird Tattoo Flash Sheet by Arianna Coghill

“We got it down to a good science last year,” said artist John Setzer. Setzer has been tattooing for over six years and moved to Richmond in 2018.

The morning of Friday, September 13 found a line of 10 to 15 excited customers gathered around the building, all anxiously waiting for Yellow Bird to throw open their doors. Tattoo artist Nicole Mackencie was at Yellow Bird early to get in line for a moth tattoo on her upper arm. She likes Yellow Bird Tattoo because their bold and smooth art differs from her traditional, flowery style.

“Since I’m an artist myself, talking to other artists is interesting,” Mackencie said. “You get to see different styles that you wouldn’t see at a gallery.”

For parlors like Lucky 13, Friday the 13th events are the busiest days of the year. For last month’s flash sale, Lucky 13’s line curled around the building, stretching all the way to North Meadow Street. Flash sale veterans know how intense the wait can be, and arrive as early as 8 am. Customers come prepared with lawn chairs and waters, along with things like playing cards to keep themselves entertained.

Denise Johnson, Jaque Williams, and Iyeana Jackson had been waiting in line for over 3 hours to get their tattoos.

“Just relax, be patient and be prepared to wait a minimum of two hours,” was Johnson’s advice to any first timers looking towards Lucky 13 as their flash sale parlor.

These Friday the 13th sales not only are a great bonding activity among friends, but also provide an opportunity for first-timers to receive their first tattoos at a discounted rate.

23-year-old Tiara Williams was one such customer. She researched for weeks before deciding that Yellow Bird’s colorful and graphic tattoo style was what she wanted.

“Going on their website and on their Instagram and seeing all the artists’ individual work, I could see that this was a place with talent,” Williams said.

According to Fessman, research is the most important thing when picking a tattoo parlor. Many shops in Richmond specialize in one niche style, and others have various artists who can accompany several different styles.

“Research is the biggest thing you can do,” advised Fessman. “I love walk-ins as much as the next one, but if you’re looking for a specific style of tattoo or a bigger piece, do your research before you come in.”

Richmond will see another Friday the 13th in December, so if you’ve been waiting to take the plunge on a new tattoo, mark your calendar.

Top Photo: Yellow Bird Tattoo

SinnerG Brings A Haunting Presence To the Richmond Tattoo Scene

Friday the 13th: Tattoo Holiday