We met up with Sophi Rain, tattoo artist and owner of the recently opened Sanctum Tattoo Studio in Halkett Place, to talk about the increasing trend in body modifications. At Sanctum they can not only help you choose and design your tattoos and piercings, but they can also help you with options for laser removal too, just in case the choices you made in your youth aren’t the best representation of you now.
Sanctum Tattoo Studio is home to artists Sophi, Billie and Matty all of whom have their own distinctive styles and loyal followings. They’re joined by piercer Caroline and Olivia who can help you with laser removal options. Having opened their doors in January Sanctum is already a busy and buzzing studio, attracting those new to the inking scene looking for interesting and exciting artists to guide them through the process for the first time, whilst of course keeping their regular clients happy too.
Sitting with Billie and Sophi whilst the latter was completing a piece on the hand of the former we chatted through their studio’s philosophy and approach to body mods.
Spending time with these ladies you get a real sense of their passion and professionalism, they really do care about what they do. They’re happy to spend as long as you need to working through your own designs, or working on a bespoke design, always remembering that one size does not fit all and that everyone is an individual. Your ideas will never get dismissed, all of the artists are here to help you get the very best out of your tattoo, meaning that you’re as happy with the original artwork as you are with the finished piece. They’re also not afraid to point you in the direction of another artist, if they don’t feel that their style is going to capture exactly what you have in mind, a refreshing attitude in today’s world.
As our theme this month is all things Micro we asked Sophi for some examples of her fine and delicate minimalist work, more of which people are coming in and asking for. These small and discreet tattoos offer a great option whether it’s your first or one of a collection of a tattoos. They’re brilliant for those who want to dip their toes in the world of tattooing before committing to something bigger, which trust me you’re likely to do.
Sophi’s story is an interesting and inspiring one. Having first pursued an apprenticeship as a teenager in middle America, where she’s originally from, it didn’t quite work out how she’d expected, mainly because of a change in circumstances with the owners of the studio. So when she was given the option to move to the UK she took the leap. Whilst London wasn’t for her the move over to Jersey was the move she’d been hoping for and after a career, like many others, in the finance industry she was lucky enough to get the chance to pursue her original love of the art of tattooing through an apprenticeship here on the island. Thanks to her previous experience the time she spent under the guidance of her mentor was much shorter than others and she rapidly developed a list of people wanting to add a piece of her work to their collections.
The first thing that strikes you as you open the doors to Sanctum Tattoo Studio is it’s a far cry from what most of us might imagine a tattoo ‘parlour’ would look like. Sophi and Billie have a great eye for detail and have made what is the largest studio in the island feel welcoming and opulent. So you feel like you’re entering an exclusive boutique where you’d happily while away many an hour, which is exactly what these guys want you to do.
If you’ve been thinking of getting yourself tattooed or pierced then you should consider heading down to see any of the team at Sanctum Tattoo Studio, it doesn’t matter how micro or massive it is, there is an option for you.
You can look at more of Sophi’s work on instagram: @sophirain
