About Kevin Ligabue

I'm Kevin Ligabue, a tattoo artist based at Future Ink in Oakland, California, working with clients across the entire San Francisco Bay Area. I specialize in Japanese geometry, heavy blackwork, blackout and suminagashi tattoos — bold, custom, large-scale black work designed to flow with the body.
 

My style

 

​My work is rooted in geometry and black. I draw on classic and sacred geometry, the repeating patterns of Japanese kimono and textile design, suminagashi marbling and cyberpunk aesthetics, and I render them in clean linework, dotwork and solid black. Years living in Southeast Asia shaped how I see pattern and ornamentation, and it runs through everything I tattoo. Every piece is custom — drawn for one person and one body, never flash off a wall.

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What I'm known for

I focus on large-scale projects: full and half sleeves, leg sleeves, back pieces and torso work, where pattern and black can connect and wrap the body. I'm also a blackout specialist — saturating large areas with deep, even black while keeping the skin healthy, so the work heals smooth and stays solid. Blackout and heavy black are also some of the best tools for covering or reworking old tattoos through blast-overs.

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Where I work

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You'll find me at Future Ink in Oakland, California. I take clients from across the Bay Area and Northern California for both standalone pieces and long-term, multi-session projects.

 

How to book

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The best way to start is a consultation. Use the contact form or send me a DM on Instagram at @kevinligabue — tell me your idea, placement and rough size, and we'll plan it from there.