Colm
Born in London but raised in Stoke, Colm moved back in 2008 to study illustration at Camberwell and has stayed put in South London ever since. He joined the Kids Love Ink crew in 2014, putting in the hard graft working on the counter, alongside his regular hours bartending, before becoming apprentice to Marcus (with a little help from Xty, Alex, and Don along the way). By 2017 it was time to drop the bar shifts and move from pulling pints to pulling lines full time. He’s also been known to guest back in Stoke from time to time, refining his technique, and thickening his accent back up.
Colm’s a big believer in the “bold will hold” philosophy, and as such his main focus is traditional tattooing, with a focus on big lines, heavy black, and bright colour. Along with this he draws influence from sources as varied as his love of punk music, the celtic art of his Irish roots, typography, and even Staffordshire pottery. He’s produced hundreds of hand painted flash sheets to pick designs from, but is equally happy working with whatever ideas or requests you might have, in any style.
Outside of tattooing Colm’s main love is music. As well as getting out to live gigs, in large and small venues, he still makes time to be involved in the punk scene himself, playing various bands, on drums, bass, or guitar, including in his long standing two piece band Lamo, with his sister Ais. You might also see his artwork in various band logos, and lettering he’s designed over the years.
