Sink or Swim BOOK

This project was born under a pandemic. Bitter, troubled, and dubious times. An uncertain future in which all of us, tattoo artists, have seen our profession mortgaged, our studios closed, and, in some way, our creativity pawned.

With the daily anxiety I felt growing, and concerned that my mental health might be affected as well, I gave myself a challenge: to draw one project a day, during all the confinement days. The first drawings came to life, along with new ideas. Like making a book... a short edition - 100 drawings / 100 books! I wanted to put on paper all the feelings I experienced on each of those days, when I saw my life upside down, twisted and in pause. Having focus and a goal, my own goal, made, and still makes, all the difference.

I was talking to Rick de Sousa about the project I was drawing between the non-routines of my daily life, and at the same time, about my disappointment with the lack of motivation to conclude it. Suddenly, Rick told me: “FUCK! What if, instead of doing it alone, you did it with several tattoo artists!!!? Look, I’m in!!! And I’m sure there are more folks with the same problem, a lack of motivation, an absence of purposes or a goal, willing to join us...”

We have rambled on for a while, and in the meantime, a very simple result: a project by two friends that aims to bring visibility to the work of tattoo artists. The main goal is to promote the art and show that, despite the distances, everyone is united. Those who survive these heavy and turbulent days, tremendously difficult to understand and accept, can survive anything, and so the book was entitled: “SINK OR SWIM”. The concept is 10 artists, 10 drawings each. A limited and numbered edition of 100 units.

In this first volume, we can find works by American Traditional and Neo Traditional tattoo artists.

Featured Artists: Douglas Cardoso, Márcio Red, Nelson Sacramento, Paulo Veiga, Rato54, Rats over Cats, Rick de Sousa, Sailor Marc, Susana Mathias Gomes, Vilela Tattoing

Inside the book you’ll find everything from snakes to monkeys, frogs, bats, butterflies, women, men, roses, skulls, wolves, dragons, tigers, hands, balloons, caravels, and more.

They were all created and developed by the artists present in the book, and have many hours of work, dedication, and sacrifice. Unique pieces, developed for specific clients, which makes them unrepeatable.

Please respect the work of all involved, using the designs for inspiration only.

You can buy the book here! Thank you for supporting us.

If you want to be parte of the "SINK OR SWIM - Volume 02", please send me an email with the subjcet "SS02".