Christopher works at Swahili Bobs Tattoo, and is working hard to keep the old legacy of traditional tattoos.

Where are you from?

It all began in the ancient vibrating forests of Bergslagen. Where the past and the future clash and form a stand still you will find Hällefors.

How long have you been tattooing? And how did you get started?

I’ve been a tattoo artist for some five years now and actually I have my friends and family to thank for giving me the motivation to pursue this outlet of creativity.

Drawing was always a passion and that kind of merged with my interest of getting tattooed. So I started drawing some doodles similar to what I at the time thought old school tattoos was all about and had the good fortune to get offered an apprenticeship at a shop in Växsjö.

If there was only one record you could listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?

As a pathological over analyzer this sort of question always gets me nervous. Whatever the choice, I would probably hate myself in a day or two haha.

But as of this moment I would probably choose Stranded in Arcadia by Mars Red Sky. Not too heavy, not too mellow and with a good amount of “Je ne sais quoi”.

Do you have a special style of tattoos that you like too do? And is it called something?

I like too do tattoos with a traditional base, five table spoons of black and a pinch of muted earthy tone color palette.

Scholars say it was known in the olden days as “real tattoos”.

What is your best memory from tattooing?

The feeling you get when you do a well executed tattoo and you see how stoked your customer is.

What’s your worst?

I don’t want to get too specific but some people want to cash in on our industry and brings questionable values from the outskirts of our society.

Some studios I’ve worked in just gave me a constant bad feeling.

What was the last gift you got from some one?

A flash painting from my talented fiance Emma.

Do you have any favorite tattoo convention in Sweden?

I haven’t really been to enough conventions to make an educated statement.

My favorites right now are more based on the surrounding circumstances like friends and current mood.

Do you have any tattoo artists in the world that you look up too?

Yes. Too many to mention. Really everyone who came before me and made tattooing what it is.

I have the deepest respect for anyone who put in hard work and respect the trade.

Are there any Swedish tattoo artist you would like me too interview?

Johan Svahn from Immovable Tattoo Malmö. He’s got a completely different style from mine but I’ve seen his flawless work for some time now and I would really like to hear some more from the man behind it.

Where do you get your creativity from?

As I mostly do traditional tattoos, it’s 99% from the old timers and 1% my own creativity where I try to apply a contemporary feel as well as durability.

That 1% of my own touch is usually derived from anxiety.

what would you say is some do’s and don’ts in the studio?

Listen to the tattooer and don’t assume internet is a better source for knowledge. No one likes a google wizard.

And don’t bring kids. Kids are retarded. But jokes aside, you wouldn’t feel too good if your kid ended up with a blood borne disease or fucked up someones linework.

Whats the best of being a tattoo artist?

The creative outlet, the rich history of the trade and the way too long lunches.

Where do you work now? And where are you located?

I work at Swahili Bobs Tattoo Stockholm, located at Bondegatan 16, Stockholm

Thanks Christoffer for being apart of the Swedish tattoo society