KORAL LADNA

Color is exceptionally powerful. It makes us feel in ways that cannot be put into words and defines the impact of the art world.

What would Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" be without the striking contrast of swirling blues and yellows? Or how about the vibrant green apple of René Magritte's "The Son of Man?"

In tattooing, color is one of Koral Ladna's most powerful tools, as it helps her bring her art to life. Ladna packs her work with vivid greens, pinks, oranges, and blues, which come together in a stunning signature style she's coined cosmic colorism. We caught up with Ladna to learn more about how her tattoo journey began, how her style chose her, and how she thinks her work will stand the tests of time.

How did your tattoo career begin? I learned to tattoo when I was backpacking through South America in my 20s. I apprenticed under another traveling tattooist and I learned the old foundations of the trade-how to build a machine and how to work with limited supplies in complex conditions. I did my first tattoo in Cartagena, Colombia-it was a blue butterfly with some initials. A few months later, I got my first tattoo shop job in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico.