Joe Larralde is the preeminent blackwork tattoo artist in the Pacific Northwest. A widely-recognized fine line and blackwork expert, painter, public artist, and tattoo aftercare pioneer, he opened his private tattoo studio, Black & Bramble, in 2022, with the goal of reinventing the idea of what a tattoo shop can and should be. 

 

Filled with bright, natural light in a quiet corner of Portland’s historic Ford Building, Black & Bramble is a modern tattoo experience — a direct response to the well-worn street shop model that often prioritizes low-customization and high-velocity pieces. At Black & Bramble, the tattoo experience is elevated. Clean air, natural light, music you love — why shouldn’t it be more relaxing to get tattooed? Why shouldn't customer comfort be the top priority?

 

Joe got his start tattooing as an apprentice on Maui in the early 2000s, working under Circle at Evolved Art in 2003. After establishing a reputation on Maui for his clean lines and perfect circles, Joe relocated to South Lake Tahoe, where he tattooed at Lake Monster Tattoo until 2008. In the fall of 2009, Jason Kundell opened Artwork Rebels (AWR) tattoo on NW 23rd, where Joe established himself as a sought after artist in the Pacific Northwest. In 2020, he joined Historic Tattoo before opening Black & Bramble in 2022.

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Today, his focus is solely on blackwork tattoos, including black line work, geometric pattern designs, mandalas, and blackout tattoos. He's passionate about evolving the tattoo industry and its culture to meet the demands of an evolving customer. Black & Bramble was created to be a welcoming, warm, and inclusive environment for every customer of every identity, where the priorities are creating beautiful tattoos and making sustainable choices that are good for the environment wherever it can. And it's also full of plants.