Hailing from Estonia and currently working out of Tattoo Circle Passau in Bavaria, Priit Salusoo has proven himself to be a diverse and adaptable artist across blackwork, colour, and black and grey styles.

Showcasing a versatility that would make most artists jealous, Priit’s predominantly dark and gothic tattoos cover a huge range of styles and subjects, from highly detailed mythical and natural elements to rich blackout tattoos – and he doesn’t neglect the colour either.

We had a catch-up with Priit about his journey, his design process, and what else he’s hoping to achieve in the future!

Can you tell us about where you come from and how you came to Bavaria?

I come from Northern Europe, Estonia. The odyssey to Passau in Lower Bavaria began in Austria when I used to tattoo there years back. I was lucky enough to stumble on Robert Seidel, who asked me to assist in building up a new tattoo studio from scratch. It took a lot of effort along with some push backs, but fast forward 6 years to this day, and the studio has developed perfect conditions for artists.

What was life like before you became a tattoo artist?

Starting from a very early age, art has always been a huge part of my life, but I didn’t exactly have the outlet for it then. I graduated high school and then proceeded to get a degree as a blacksmith. I practiced around two years in that field, but it became clear that it was not making my heart race with excitement, so I quit.

This year in July I am celebrating 20 years of tattooing, showing there wasn´t much time and will to try other career paths. I found my one.

What inspired you to become a tattoo artist?

It was rather a natural course of events, considering that I had been into tattoos since I can recollect. My uncle had prison tattoos and they immediately caught my eye - it was art I had never seen before. It had such darkness, complexity and was deeply conceptual. Then I knew.

At the time (early 2000s), it was a real challenge to get your hands on proper tattoo equipment. Due to that, I had to invent a lot on my own, such as handcrafting machines and borrowing ink from different studios. Yes, borrowing ink! Back then, you just couldn´t go and buy some from the internet as you can nowadays - there was even special ink powder that they mixed with glycerine.

Despite those difficulties, I still had tremendous energy, desire and insistence.

How would you describe your style (or your favourite style to tattoo)?

I would describe my style more as dark realism or surrealism, but at the same time I enjoy mixing different styles together to create my own “handwriting”, a certain style that people can recognise is my work from looking at it.

On the top of my list of favourite styles are patterns, as it puts a certain discipline into the art and stimulates visionary thinking.

I also enjoy colourful neo-traditional tattoos, where I venerate the use of colour and drawing of cartoon-style characters - it gives free space for the mind to wander.

Where do you find inspiration?

In all places, life itself is inspiring enough. Each thing we see in art exists around us. Music, photography, film, silence, parallels on different subjects, Taoism.

What is your tattoo designing process?

I have refined a method that works best for me and is very handy. First, I familiarise myself with the given keywords and sample images from the client to understand their vision and idea. Second, I look for image material or draw by hand if necessary, and finally, put together a digital Photoshop model for the specific area - arm, leg, back, etc.

It can take from 10-15 minutes up to a few hours, depending on details and different layers. There are exceptions, but usually the client sees the sketch right before their appointment, and from experience, I must be ready to re-design within a very short amount of time if needed.

What is your favourite thing about your job?

There are quite a lot in this list: having a portion of freedom and control over my time, seeing people leave with more confidence, the excitement of preparing for each session, and meeting people with different backgrounds. It’s a lifestyle, not a job!

 Can you tell us about your current tattoo studios and who is working there with you?

Currently I work in two tattoo studios.

My home studio is in Tallinn, Estonia, Roosikrantsi Tattoo, which I share with my long-term colleague Ann Keevallik and her student Liisa Berezkin.

The German studio, Tattoo Circle Passau, brings the world together as there are numerous international and local artists, such as Georgi Kodzhabashev, Lazar Lazarov, Laszlo Pali, Matyas Halasz (Csiga), Tsoie, Dmitri "De Loop", Greg Zabaryllo, Marcella, Mateusz "Lisu" Lisiewicz, etc. We have refined a pleasant, hearty and strong team. Such talent gathered in one spot.

What would be your perfect work day?

On a perfect day there is a symbiotic, harmonious and peaceful cooperation between the client and the artist.

The tattoo design is exciting for the client and me. They are well rested, bring a good vibe, have eaten and are not late!

What is your favourite subject to tattoo?

I am always delighted to put comic book-style improvised characters, animals, old school pulp illustrations, occult/witchy designs, musicians, and patterns on skin.

What tattoo equipment do you use?

For a significant amount of time, my favoured machine was the Cheyenne Hawk Spirit, which I still use at times.

Currently I´m using FK Irons Flux and EXO as a further development of wireless machines.

Colours are from World Famous Ink and needle cartridge systems from Cheyenne and KWADRON.

For stencil primer, I have a long-term sponsor, Electrum. Overall, I buy all my equipment through the Killer Ink website.

Back in 2009 you created a piece of album cover art for Viirastus, how did that happen, and would you like to make more art for music?

Very unexpected and interesting surprise question!

This album is still in quite underground status and limited. It all started with the fact that I designed their logo, so the natural continuation was to draw demo illustrations as well.

Over the years, I have designed a handful of logos and album artwork for different bands. I have always been open to working with bands and at the moment, there are several interesting designs in the making.

What kind of music do you like?

Metal has always had a special place in my life, but it has mixed with electronic, jazz, post rock, etc over the decades.

I don't limit myself to one style; metal has had a strong weight and still has, but my own development and mindset have brought a lot of influence from other genres.

Do you make any other kind of art and if so, could you tell us about it?

Yes, of course. I draw a lot of academic art and sketches. I also paint.

Whose tattoo work inspires you?

I do not want to single out any names here, but there are many talented artists who inspire me.

Mostly, I look at the tattoo from a technical point of view - the composition and the connection with the body. To be honest, even a minimalistic small tattoo can be exhilarating in its pure execution, conveying a strong message.

I am impressed by the rare transparency nowadays from artists who upload their ink to socials without transforming it with filters to the point the colours are unrealistically bright. Doing that can give the false impression to your possible future client that the colours are naturally so glaring, which is not true.

Do you have plans to attend any tattoo conventions/guest spots this year?

The Landshut Convention is currently scheduled for June, and I do plan to guest spot in NYC/Chicago this autumn.

Have you won any awards that you’d like to brag about?

I have won tons of awards over the years, but the awards themselves are just material things that do not bring any special satisfaction.

The most important aspect is the art itself you put on the skin, which you can look at with pride years later. To elaborate on that note, the memory of the award fades more than the piece of art that I put on the skin, so the ink itself is more outstanding in my mind.

Are there any tattooing styles you’d like to try but haven’t yet?

I would like to try embroidery (patch style), psychedelic and erotic styles.

Are there are any subjects or images you haven’t tattooed yet but would like to?

There sure are, it’s still connected to music though, e.g., Placebo, Queen, something punk rock.

What does the future hold for Priit Salusoo?

To make it short - more art projects, painting, music composure, and travel.

I don´t enjoy speculating about the future as we always have to expect the unexpected.           

Hope you enjoyed this interview with Priit Salusoo – make sure to check out his work on Instagram!