Chilean tattoo artist Felipe Abel (born Felipe Arriagada), who has a background in graphic design and a decade of experience in black-and-grey micro-realism, is preparing to join Noble Art Studio in Brooklyn. He is also developing a new series of oil paintings focused on mythology, theology, and esotericism, expected to debut in a formal exhibition around 2027. Abel, who has held guest spots in over 20 cities across 10 countries including studios like Sasha Tattooing in Paris and The White Whale in Milan, uses chiaroscuro and a recurring floating orb motif in his work, drawing influence from photographer Sebastião Salgado and painter Guillermo Lorca.
This matters because Abel is part of a movement dissolving the traditional boundary between tattooing and fine art, particularly in South America where tattooing has struggled to gain institutional respect. By returning to oil painting while maintaining his tattoo practice, he positions tattooing as a conceptual artistic practice rather than mere craft, reflecting a broader cultural shift where body art is increasingly recognized for its narrative and artistic potential alongside technical execution.