Laying the Groundwork

“There's a lot of stuff, but I shut it all down. I think one of my biggest struggles was just trying to find a mentor or somebody that I could sit with and actually get the education and I guess just the the pinz-n-needlez of what tattooing is.

- Keyonna “Kayenjay6” Jones

about: Black Tattoo Anthology®

A living archive and digital campus dedicated to reclaiming, preserving, and reimagining Black tattoo culture across the diaspora. Founded and stewarded by Master Tattoo Artist and author Imani K. Brown®, the BTA documents our stories through scholarship, artistry, and community.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to cultural stewardship: honoring ancestral tattoo traditions, amplifying Black tattoo artists, and creating spaces where our creativity is remembered as inheritance, not erased as trend. From the Collective of participating artists, to our Podcast where culture bearers speak their truths, the Anthology is both a record and a ritual—an invitation to witness how ink carries memory, identity, and liberation.

We invite you to become a paid subscriber to sustain this work. Your support powers our digital campus, uplifts the artists who make up the Collective, and ensures that Black tattoo culture is preserved for future generations. | Website

“it's been really nice to … meet new creatives of color, like, people that look like me. So I know, like, it's possible to be successful and be black and just kind of see how empowered other people feel in their space, in whatever they're creating. 

- Asha Martin

about: Black Tattoo Anthology®

A living archive and digital campus dedicated to reclaiming, preserving, and reimagining Black tattoo culture across the diaspora. Founded and stewarded by Master Tattoo Artist and author Imani K. Brown®, the BTA documents our stories through scholarship, artistry, and community.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to cultural stewardship: honoring ancestral tattoo traditions, amplifying Black tattoo artists, and creating spaces where our creativity is remembered as inheritance, not erased as trend. From the Collective of participating artists, to our Podcast where culture bearers speak their truths, the Anthology is both a record and a ritual—an invitation to witness how ink carries memory, identity, and liberation.

We invite you to become a paid subscriber to sustain this work. Your support powers our digital campus, uplifts the artists who make up the Collective, and ensures that Black tattoo culture is preserved for future generations. | Website

“it's been really nice to … meet new creatives of color, like, people that look like me. So I know, like, it's possible to be successful and be black and just kind of see how empowered other people feel in their space, in whatever they're creating. 

- Asha Martin

about: Black Tattoo Anthology®

A living archive and digital campus dedicated to reclaiming, preserving, and reimagining Black tattoo culture across the diaspora. Founded and stewarded by Master Tattoo Artist and author Imani K. Brown®, the BTA documents our stories through scholarship, artistry, and community.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to cultural stewardship: honoring ancestral tattoo traditions, amplifying Black tattoo artists, and creating spaces where our creativity is remembered as inheritance, not erased as trend. From the Collective of participating artists, to our Podcast where culture bearers speak their truths, the Anthology is both a record and a ritual—an invitation to witness how ink carries memory, identity, and liberation.

We invite you to become a paid subscriber to sustain this work. Your support powers our digital campus, uplifts the artists who make up the Collective, and ensures that Black tattoo culture is preserved for future generations. | Website

“For me personally, I guess now I'm into more generational tattoos. I've been tattooing so long that I'm tattooing sons, daughters, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers.

So the trust factor is a lot greater.” - Chris Mensah

✨Black Tattoo Culture Con 2025 Returns To DC on Oct 24-26✨

* Join The Waitlist!

* Meet the Culture Collective

* Donate to Black Tattoo Anthology

Black Tattoo Culture Con comes about as an initiative from Black Tattoo Anthology to bring more visibility to black tattoo culture in general. Where people say that they can't find black tattoo artists, we are the culture keeping platform that actually features them.

✨Black Tattoo Culture Con 2025 Returns To DC on Oct 24-26✨

* Join The Waitlist!

* Meet the Culture Collective

* Donate to Black Tattoo Anthology

We hope you enjoyed this live!

about: Black Tattoo Anthology®

A living archive and digital campus dedicated to reclaiming, preserving, and reimagining Black tattoo culture across the diaspora. Founded and stewarded by Master Tattoo Artist and author Imani K. Brown®, the BTA documents our stories through scholarship, artistry, and community.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to cultural stewardship: honoring ancestral tattoo traditions, amplifying Black tattoo artists, and creating spaces where our creativity is remembered as inheritance, not erased as trend. From the Collective of participating artists, to our Podcast where culture bearers speak their truths, the Anthology is both a record and a ritual—an invitation to witness how ink carries memory, identity, and liberation.

We invite you to become a paid subscriber to sustain this work. Your support powers our digital campus, uplifts the artists who make up the Collective, and ensures that Black tattoo culture is preserved for future generations. | Website

Tap in with Zulu the Artist as he shares the harsh realities of racism in the tattoo industry and explore the path toward equity and inclusion for Black artists and clients.

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Listen to inspiring tattoo stories from our soft-launch event, Books & Tattoos.

GET TICKETS & Meet us at ⁠⁠Black Tattoo Culture Con⁠

Read the Full Blog | Explore extended content

Share your tattoo story

Tap in to this update of where I’ve been and where I’m going cuz 2023 wrung me all the way out, chile! | imanikbrown.com by Master Tattoo Artist | Author | Philosopher | Cultural Steward IMANI K. BROWN® (Osunyoyin)—Osun priestess, spiritual practitioner, and brand alchemist—blends ritual, ancestry, and storytelling as one of the most prominent Black female tattoo artists in the U.S. Founder of Little INKPLAY Shop® and stewardess of Black tattoo culture through Black Tattoo Anthology® non-profit, she creates experiences that reclaim, preserve, and transform ancestral tattoo traditions. Author of Shoppe Gal, The Memoir: The Journey of a Black Female Tattoo Artist, her creative philosophy reflects a rich tapestry of life shaped by DC roots and the ingenious spiritual technology of tattoo. Driven by how Black creativity is seen, practiced, and remembered through ink, Imani is here for the tattoo consults, deep dives, panel discussions, and keynote conversations—should you need me, holla. Website

Listen (or watch) part TWO of our first artist talk with Queen Bee Ink herself, Elisheba Mrozik. Meet us at ⁠Black Tattoo Culture Con⁠

Let's dig into part 2 y'all! And here are the what nots ~