Today we’d like to introduce you to Anton Martiushev.
Hi Anton, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. As a kid I would spend hours copying pictures from books and album covers, trying to understand how light, shadow and form worked. I didn’t know it then, but that was my first “art school.”
I grew up in a small town in Russia, where tattooing wasn’t really popular yet – there were no big studios, no real scene, and definitely no mentors. When I discovered tattooing, it felt like a completely new world. I bought a cheap machine, practiced on myself and on friends, made a lot of mistakes and slowly taught myself everything – from how to build a clean line to how to create depth and realism.
Over the years I moved from small, simple pieces to large-scale realistic projects and full sleeves. I started traveling, working in different studios, and taking part in conventions, which opened my eyes to the international tattoo community.
Now, after years of hard work and constantly pushing the quality of my art, I’m based in Los Angeles. For someone who started in a tiny Russian town, it’s still a wild adventure. Here I’m trying to bring something new to the tattoo industry – mixing realism with cinematic, dark and Japanese-inspired elements.
Parallel to tattooing, I create large sculptural masks — often Japanese-inspired pieces like hannya, geisha and tengu masks. At some point people started bringing me photos of these masks and asking to turn them into tattoos. Seeing my sculptural work transformed into designs that people choose to wear on their skin is incredibly inspiring. It feels like my art now lives in different dimensions at the same time — on the wall, on the body, and in people’s personal stories — and that keeps me experimenting and evolving as an artist.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
I started in a small town in Russia with almost no tattoo culture, no mentors and no proper studios, so I had to teach myself and made a lot of early mistakes. Moving to Saint Petersburg, the “second capital” of Russia, was a turning point – working in a good studio around strong artists pushed my level up and made me seriously think about the U.S.
When I later relocated to Los Angeles, the main challenge was starting over in a completely new scene and keeping my standards high in a city with so many great artists. Surprisingly, finding clients wasn’t the problem – I became quite in demand very quickly. Tattooing is actually what keeps me from burning out: it constantly gives me new ideas, from large realistic pieces to sculptural masks, and being in such an active tattoo scene as LA only motivates me to grow more.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a tattoo artist specializing in realistic, mostly black and grey work with a focus on darker, cinematic imagery. I’m drawn to themes with mystery and tension – faces, hands, Japanese masks, religious and mythological elements – images that feel like a still frame from a movie.
A big part of my work is storytelling on the body. I really care about the storyline: when we build a full sleeve or a large project, I want it to feel like one united piece, not a collection of random tattoos. I pay a lot of attention to how every element connects, how it flows with the muscles, and how the light and shadow guide the eye.
Parallel to tattooing, I create large sculptural masks – especially Japanese-inspired pieces like hannya, geisha and tengu masks. Over time, these two worlds blended together: people started bringing photos of my masks and asking to turn them into tattoos. So the same visual language now exists both on skin and in 3D objects, which gives my work a very specific look.
I’m also currently developing a book about using AI in the tattoo industry. I’ve been actively integrating AI into my own workflow – from idea generation to building complex compositions – and I see how powerful this tool can be when used correctly. My goal is to create a practical guide that will help other artists understand and use AI in a smart, ethical way, instead of being afraid of it or seeing it as a threat.
I’m especially proud that this work has led to me being invited as a guest judge at several major tattoo conventions and also winning awards at different shows. My masks are also used as prizes at some conventions, where organizers ask for them as special awards and sponsorship pieces – that’s a big honor for me. Another thing that means a lot to me is when people say they recognized my work instantly – they see one dark, “mystery” piece and know it’s mine. That combination of industry recognition and a recognizable personal style is what motivates me to keep pushing my work further.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is growth and staying true to myself.
If we’re talking about the tattoo world, it’s really important for me to keep developing. This industry moves fast – new techniques, new ideas, new standards – and I don’t want to just repeat what I’ve already done. I feel a responsibility to bring something new, whether it’s through the way I build storylines on the body or how I connect my tattoo work with my sculptural masks.
At the same time, it’s just as important for me to stay in harmony with myself. I don’t want to chase trends or do things that don’t feel honest just because they might be popular. For me, the ideal balance is to keep pushing forward, experimenting and evolving, but always in a way that matches my own vision and who I am as an artist and a person.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_marra_?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Other: [email protected]
