Nouvelle Rita

I began tattooing in 2013, during a difficult chapter in my life. At the time, tattooing felt like a lifeline, pulling me out of the depths when I needed it most. The challenge of learning such a demanding craft gave me purpose and a way to reconnect with myself.

My work is built on minimalist line-work. I love it because it’s challenging to do and perfect, but also very interesting to look at— every line has a purpose. All shadows, volume, texture and depth are created by different width, direction and sparseness of lines instead of traditional shading techniques.

I’m very inspired by nature, I love doing pieces that have, as a central object, something like an animal, plant or piece of anatomy. I also love doing portraits or people centred pieces, and I often take inspiration from myths and legends.

More recently, I’ve been playing around with movement and trying to create more abstract pieces.

My favourite part of tattooing is the people. Every client brings something different, and we always find common ground while talking about ideas, music, food or life in general. I feel incredibly lucky that people trust me to bring their ideas to life with tattoos that mark an important moment, help them reconnect with their bodies, or simply for the joy of it. More than anything, I want every appointment to feel calm and unhurried, so you leave with a tattoo you’re excited to wear and knowing you’ve been listened to and supported from start to finish. Alongside custom tattoos, I also create original flash designs. Most of my flash is one-off, so once it’s tattooed it belongs to that person alone. I also keep a small collection of repeatable mini designs if you’re looking for something quick and simple. Outside tattooing I’m usually happiest somewhere surrounded by trees. I love wandering through the woods, swimming in rivers or the sea, watching birds, and trying to work out whether the mushroom or plant I’ve found is actually edible. Moving from London to Taunton gave me exactly that, and I’m so glad I took the leap. When I’m not outside, you’ll probably find me making pottery or cooking something to share with friends.