NIC EL
Owner & Tattoo Artist
Roots in street art and tattooing
Nic El’s creative path started with street art, graffiti, drawing, and the need to leave a mark on surfaces. From a young age, he was drawn to symbols, walls, characters, and images that carried meaning outside traditional art spaces.
Tattooing was always part of that curiosity. During his school years, experimenting with a sewing needle and pen ink got him into more trouble than praise, and at home tattooing quickly became a forbidden subject. The interest never disappeared. It only grew stronger and slowly became the direction his life would follow.
London and international experience
At 17, Nic moved to London, where his introduction to tattooing became more serious. His first experience with a coil tattoo machine happened in a friend’s kitchen during an afterparty. It was raw, unpolished, and far from a perfect beginning, but it sparked a real commitment to the craft.
What started informally became discipline. Over the years, Nic worked inside and around different tattoo scenes, learning from artists, studios, clients, and the mistakes that come with real experience. Living and working across different countries helped shape the way he sees tattooing, not only as a service, but as a serious artistic responsibility.
His work has been featured in tattoo publications and media outlets, with recognition for both his tattoo work and his views on tattooing as art, culture, and tradition.
Tattoo style and Artistic Approach
Nic’s work is rooted in drawing, composition, contrast, and visual storytelling. He studies classical art, modern art, surrealism, anatomy, movement, and the emotional effect an image can have on the viewer. His aim is not only to repeat what already exists, but to understand the image properly and push each design further before it becomes a tattoo.
What often stands out in his work is the attention to detail and the use of light and shadow. These elements help create tattoos that feel alive on the skin, especially in black and grey realism, large scale pieces, mythology, portraits, animals, dark imagery, and designs that need strong body flow.
Before Nic starts designing or tattooing, he usually has a clear vision of where the piece needs to go. He thinks about the idea, the anatomy, the placement, the movement of the body, and how the tattoo will age over time. He is also known for long sessions, often working many hours to cover as much as possible while keeping the final result clear in his mind.
His work merges raw emotion with meticulous artistry. He approaches each piece with care, curiosity, and attention to detail. For him, it’s not just about tattoos; it’s about the power of art to connect and heal […]
365Art Magazine
Tattooing as culture and tradition
Alongside his practical training, Nic developed a deep interest in ancient body art, symbolism, and tattoo history. This research-driven approach shaped how he views tattooing, not just as decoration, but as a cultural practice. Over the years, this perspective led to interviews and features in several major media outlets, interested in his views on tattooing as both art and tradition.
Opening Gorilla Tattoo Paphos in Cyprus
After years of working in different cities, Nic chose to slow things down and refocus on the parts of tattooing that mattered most to him. Moving to Paphos was not about expanding or scaling, but about building a sustainable way of working that allowed space for focus, craft, and genuine connection with people.
Opening his own studio, Gorilla Tattoo Paphos, gave him full control over how tattooing was approached, from the pace of work to the level of attention given to each client and each piece.
