PW is truly a gift! I feel lucky to have the opportunity to let Pony use my body as a canvas to reflect both my own experiences and PW's unique personality together with her ability to capture life as art!!
If you're lucky enough to have her choose you, then you'll understand!
I am sharing my experience to provide transparency for others considering this artist. I have had seven tattoos done by PonyWave, owner of Koru, and from the beginning I understood that her work came at a premium price point. Until recently, the majority of my tattoos were well executed. My most recent tattoo, completed three days ago, was a black and gray piece -she charged me a total of $4,500. I was required to book two full days (which I questioned), yet the second day consisted of approximately 1.5 hours of work for which I was charged an additional $2,000. I know pony’s work and she surely could have finished this in one sitting. The cost alone was shocking, and the final result is unsatisfactory. This tattoo was meant to be a delicate cover-up for a scar on my abdomen. I clearly communicated that I wanted something refined and subtle—not large, bold, or heavy. While the line work itself is technically sound, the shading is inconsistent: the leaves are extremely dark while the flowers lack sufficient shading, resulting in an imbalanced and unfinished appearance. When I asked for the flowers to be shaded to better match the leaves, I was told, “I thought you wanted it light,” despite the obvious mismatch. I live in Florida and she’s in LA and it’s not like I can go back so easy. In my professional opinion as a long-term client, the quality and outcome of this piece definitely do not justify the price charged. Over the past several years, I have spent more than $25,000 with this her, excluding airfare, hotel stays, and other travel expenses. Also, when I requested a touch-up on a tattoo done less than two years ago—which has looked poor since shortly after healing—I was refused and told that I am “too tan” and that correcting it would not help. This raises serious concerns about why that color choice wasnt discouraged initially. Throughout our history, communication has been minimal and impersonal, and typically initiated by me. Given the outcome of this last piece—I believe a partial refund would be an appropriate and reasonable resolution. Offering a refund would be a professional and good-faith gesture that reflects accountability and respect for a long-standing client! I am a small business owner myself and if someone doesn’t like something - we refund them immediately-no questions asked.
