With over 12 years of experience, Shaikh has been pursuing tattoo artistry utilizing his sketching skills to create unique, meaningful tattoos.

Shaikh M. Sarkar is the Director of ‘Skin Inks Tattoo’, a tattoo studio in Mumbai. With over 12 years of experience in the industry, Shaikh has established himself as a renowned tattoo artist. His studio is known for its exceptional creativity and attention to detail.

Describing his journey, Shaikh says that when he was a child, he used to sketch a lot, and people would often praise his artistic skills. This encouragement motivated him to pursue a career either in animation or tattoo artistry. He chose tattoo artistry as it not only showcased his sketching skills but also allowed him to create unique and meaningful art on people's bodies.Through his dedication and passion, he has honed his craft and gained a loyal clientele that appreciates his ability to transform their ideas into beautiful and personalized tattoos.

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Shaikh says that he had always been fascinated by drawing and sketching and used to watch TV shows on tattooing, but nobody was there to guide him to pursue a career in this field. When he grew up, he moved to Mumbai to support his family financially. He used to stay with his uncle and work odd jobs to make ends meet. Meanwhile, he got an opportunity to join a tattoo artist to learn the art. But after two months of his joining the course, he lost his father and started facing financial difficulties. He managed his work along with his training to learn tattoo art, despite the challenges he faced.

Shaikh says he established his tattoo studio after gaining years of experience in the field with the help of his friend. He always tried to bring excellence to his work by constantly learning new techniques and staying updated with the latest trends in the tattoo industry. He promised himself to provide training to the aspirants who wanted to pursue careers in the tattoo industry, not for the money but for their passion.

Looking back at the time of the COVID pandemic, Shaikh says that the phase was difficult for everyone. For him, as he also owns a salon along with his tattoo studio, it was difficult as every salon, tattoo, and other businesses were on hold due to the lockdown measures.

Shaikh seeks inspiration from Japanese art and tries to incorporate elements of it into his own designs. He also follows one of the great French tattoo artists, whose artwork is known for its intricate details and unique style. Sameer Patange, who is an Indian artist and among the flag bearers of the tattoo industry in India, teaches him to be humble despite being the legend of the industry. Shaikh is grateful for the guidance and mentorship he received from Patange and Anil Gupta, as it has helped him refine his skills and develop his own artistic style.

For Shaikh, every tattoo is a unique opportunity to connect with his clients on a personal level and create a lasting piece of art. He says he feels accomplished when his clients say that his work has exceeded their expectations and truly represents them. He has done tattoo art for doctors, surgeons, lawyers, celebrities, and athletes.

Shaikh advises aspirants who want to pursue their passion for tattoo art to be humble and nice to their clients and earn their trust. He also stresses the importance of being a leader and standing out from the crowd in order to deliver the best possible experience for his clients.

Shaikh suggests the tattoo artists first research a lot about the client's preferences, interests, and background before starting any design. This allows an artist to create a design that is not only visually appealing but also deeply meaningful to the client. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of constantly learning and staying updated with the latest techniques and trends in tattoo art to provide the best possible experience for your clients.