Quirky, kitsch tattoos to hit up before your next ink appointment

Say what you will—but long gone are the days when getting inked is considered anything but a taboo topic. In the days of old, the very idea of a tattoo will conjure up skewed images of a male-dominated scene, oft associated with the idea of a gang or individuals that pose an intimidating presence; a sentiment probably imbued by one too many negative portrayals on the silver screen, coupled with the fact that the likelihood of our Asian parents ever accepting the idea of us getting one ourselves, would be close to zero.

But even with such misconceptions aside, there’s the strange, almost-archaic notion that getting a tattoo has to mean something to its wearer. After all, why can’t they just be cute, youthful and a visual representation of something someone likes? In recent times of course, a light-hearted approach to getting inked has swarmed the in-crowd, with more and more people leaning towards tattoos that are framed like art pieces on their body, more than anything else. And the range varies: from graphic, geometric line work to quaint, kitsch-like drawings boosted with vibrant hues. Evidently, the latter steers clear of any manic stereotype; rather, it imbues a fresh perspective that tattoo art is indeed exactly that—art. The permanence of it all, is but a mere indication of how much it stirs up your senses from within.

As of late, an explosion of quirky maximalist imagery have started to rule the roost, some with a penchant for building upon existing animated characters whilst others enacting a dark, comical twist on usually saccharine sweet motifs such as their much-adored pets or favourite scenes from a movie. And when you think about these ink designs as art—it’s hardly unsurprising that many of these are dosed with a splash of colour here and there, bringing with them a whole new realm of potential inspo for tattoo artists to try their hand at.

However, to enter this abstract, kitschy world via means of a fresh ink all on your own might pose to be a tad intimidating—especially when there are a plethora of designs to choose from out there. That’s where we come in; scroll on to glean a Vogue-approved curation of quirky and maximalist tattoo designs that might just tickle your fancy, before booking your next ink appointment.