Sasha O'kharin

‘Progress doesn't have a final destination.’

Based in St Petersburg, Russian artist Sasha O'Kharin is known for his extraordinary photo-realistic portrayals of movie characters and other pop culture icons. And when asked where his work is headed in the future, his answer is simple: To infinity and beyond!

Why realism?

I chose colour realism because I felt it was the most interesting style for me. I love its complexity. I enjoy focusing on the detail, and concentrating on representing an image as accurately as possible.

Do you work in any other styles?

In a word, no.

What do you say to the people who claim realistic tattoos don't have longevity?

They don't know what they're talking about. They say these tattoos won't last for twenty years... but none of them have really seen a twenty year old realistic tattoo. The tattoos that were done all those years ago, well the artists didn't have the techniques, the machines or the inks that we have now. Things just weren't as developed, so you can't make a comparison. And that goes for all tattoo styles – not just realism. Unless you have a time machine, you can't see into the future. It's just bullshit.

What makes a successful realistic tattoo?

A successful realistic tattoo requires good skin, with good tone. Young skin works best. The quality of your reference is at least 30% of the end result. Artistic technique and equipment make up the rest. If you get all of these elements right, then you're on the way to a great tattoo.

What do you look for in a customer?

Good skin and a good idea!

Where do you find your reference?