Yllson is a tattoo artist from Greece, based in the beautiful city of Athens. He has been tattooing since 2018, and since October 2021 he has been a member of the Nico Tattoo Crew — a well-established and respected studio where he continues to develop his artistic language and create his work every day.
Before entering tattooing, Yllson had already built a strong visual foundation. He studied academic drawing while preparing for the School of Fine Arts and worked with illustration, comics, graphic design, and graffiti. This background shaped the way he approaches tattooing today: with attention to structure, contrast, movement, and the graphic power of the image.
His interest in tattooing began around the age of 18, when he got his first tattoo. Seeing the process up close left a strong impression on him and made him want to try tattooing himself. At the beginning, the results were far from what he expected, but that stage became an important part of his growth. His tattoo artist, Hermit, encouraged him to study academic drawing and understand the fundamentals of light, shadow, and contrast. Later, after moving to the UK, Yllson met Jorge, who helped him better understand the practical side of tattooing.
Yllson first started with American Traditional, but his drawing background naturally pushed him toward more depth, detail, and complexity. This led him into Neotraditional tattooing, then into color work, which became one of the defining parts of his style. Over time, he also began studying Japanese tattooing through books and research, focusing on flow, composition, and structure.
Today, his work combines Neo-Traditional, Neo-Japanese, and anime influences. His tattoos are built on strong traditional foundations, but they carry a modern, street-oriented energy shaped by his background in graffiti, comics, and the visual culture of the 1990s.
“My style is, first of all, a reflection of myself — and of people who connect with similar experiences and influences.”
Bold lines, line variation, contrast, and movement play a central role in his work. Yllson often uses the strength of traditional tattooing as a base, then adds depth through warm and cool color balance, black and grey contrast, and carefully built compositions that follow the body.
“I always try to give the design a sense of flow, so it feels alive and works naturally with the body.”
Conventions have also become an important part of Yllson’s artistic journey. He has participated in major tattoo events across Greece, Cyprus, Europe, and the United States, including Athens Tattoo Convention, Athens Tattoo Expo, Balkan Tattoo Convention, Cyprus Tattoo Convention, Berlin Tattoo Convention, Brussels Tattoo Convention, Minneapolis Tattoo Arts Festival, Chicago Tattoo Arts Festival, and Baltimore Tattoo Arts Festival.
His list of awards reflects the range and strength of his work. In 2023, he won 1st Place Best Color Small at the 15th Athens Tattoo Convention and 1st Place Best Japanese Big at the 7th Athens Tattoo Expo. He has also received several awards in categories such as Best Color Big, Best Japanese Big, Best Color Small, Most Unusual, and Color Infused Black & Grey.
Two tattoos hold special meaning in his career. The first is the piece that won Best Color Small in Athens in 2023 — a milestone that made him feel his hard work was finally being recognized. The second is the tattoo that won Best Japanese Big at the Athens Tattoo Expo that same year. It was also the first dragon he had ever tattooed, and that victory gave him the confidence to dive deeper into Japanese tattooing.
Yllson’s style stands out through its balance of power, rhythm, and personality. His tattoos carry the readability of traditional tattooing, the depth of academic drawing, the visual energy of anime and comics, and the compositional flow of Japanese tattoo art. The result is bright, dynamic, and instantly recognizable — a style shaped by discipline, curiosity, and a strong personal connection to every image he creates.
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