Getting a tattoo has long been an act of reclamation. It takes form through careful, deliberate motion, carrying meaning with every line. Rooted in emotion and intensity, Baroque is a visual language defined by dramatic contrasts, curved lines, and intricate ornamentation drawn from multiple cultural epochs. Once placed on the body, it moves beyond decoration, holding memory and permanence for the wearer. Within today’s tattoo culture, Baroque offers a clear departure from familiar motifs – small symbols and clean lettering designed for instant recognition. In preference, it works through perseverance and concentration, creating designs that are not simply seen but lived with, allowing meaning to develop across the body over time.
This intricacy of Baroque designs allows artists to embed with their own visual signature while leaving space for wearers to project personal memories onto the art. Each line and ornament becomes a point of connection, where the artist’s vision intersects with the client’s personal history. In this exchange, the tattoo becomes a shared language, carrying the imprint of the artist while holding an intimate narrative on the wearer’s body.
It is within this space of intimacy and reflection that Men’s Folio engages with a selection of contemporary artists, exploring Baroque as a personal and evolving visual language that continues to resonate with themselves and their patrons today.
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WHAT DRAWS YOU TO SUPERNATURAL ANIMALS IN YOUR FLASH GRAPHICS, AND HOW DO THEY CONVEY MEANINGS LIKE BRAVERY OR SOFTNESS IN YOUR BAROQUE INSPIRED VISUALS?
Real animals can sometimes feel too literal, they come with fixed meanings and expectations. That’s why my flash designs often lean towards non-human or supernatural themes. They leave more room for imagination and emotional projection. These motifs carry personal meanings for them. Through the design process, their own stories naturally become part of the work. That’s something I find very meaningful as a creator.
HOW DO GRADIENTS AND SHADOWING CREATE DEPTH AND MOVEMENT IN YOUR INTRICATE DESIGNS, ESPECIALLY ON SKIN?
Gradients and shadowing come very intuitively to me. Rather than thinking of them as rendering techniques, I use them to create a sense of breathing and flow. Skin isn’t a flat surface, so I like my graphics to feel as if they’re moving with the body.
HOW DOES APPLYING BAROQUE GRAPHICS TO CLOTHING, LIKE IN YOUR ROMANCE_1314 COLLABORATION, CHANGE YOUR APPROACH TO PERMANENCE, INTIMACY, AND MEANING?
In Malaysia, where visual culture around tattoos can still feel relatively conservative, my tattoo language often needs another entry point. Many people resonate with my work but don’t necessarily want a tattoo, so merchandise becomes a way for them to connect with and support my practice. I’m interested in expanding how my visual language can exist beyond skin.
WHEN SOMEONE CHOOSES YOUR BAROQUE DESIGN, WHAT EMOTIONAL CONNECTION DO YOU HOPE THEY DEVELOP OVER TIME?
I hope my tattoos become small but meaningful memory holders. Maybe they make someone smile when they notice them again, or trigger a specific moment from their life. If the design becomes a kind of emotional switch, something that opens up personal associations over time, then I feel the tattoo has truly done its job.
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BAROQUE CAN BE INTENSE AND ELABORATE. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHEN TO EMBRACE THE DRAMA VERSUS WHEN TO SIMPLIFY FOR THE CLIENT’S EXPERIENCE?
For me, the decision comes very intuitively. My design process is driven mostly by feeling rather than a fixed plan — I draw freely. At the same time, I pay close attention to the references clients share, especially the pieces of my work they are drawn to. That helps me understand the kind of emotion or intensity they resonate with and bring that into the design process.
YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ART AS A FUEL FOR CLIENTS TO LOVE THEIR BODY. HOW DOES THAT PHILOSOPHY INFLUENCE YOUR APPROACH WHEN DESIGNING TATTOOS?
That idea started from my own experience. When I saw my tattoos on my body, I felt that both my body and the tattoo looked beautiful together — that’s why I wanted to share that idea through my work. I always ask for the general placement first so I can create the design to suit the client’s body shape. For me, seeing the design on the body is essential. If it were only on blank paper, even I wouldn’t fully see its beauty.
YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO FIND INSPIRATION?
Lately, I’ve felt especially close to my surroundings and nature. Being present in those quieter spaces helps me slow down and notice small details that naturally find their way into my work.
YOUR GRAPHICS OFTEN ACT AS AN “ACCESSORY” FOR THE CLIENT — HOW DO BAROQUE ELEMENTS HELP AMPLIFY THEIR PERSONAL EXPRESSION OR STORY?
I see baroque elements as a way to add personality and emotion, rather than complexity. They help bring character into the piece while still keeping the client as the main focus. I want my work to sit naturally with the person, like an accessory they slowly grow into. This gives clients space to connect the design with their own story in a way that feels personal to them.
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YOUR WORK HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS UNSETTLING YET BEAUTIFUL. HOW DO YOU APPROACH THAT TENSION?
I don’t deliberately make it uncomfortable; I just draw what I like. Some people might feel tension or unease when looking at my work, while others find comfort in it. I think that ambiguity is natural. It comes from exploring emotion and human perception, not from forcing a reaction.
WHAT DRAWS YOU TO BAROQUE-INSPIRED ELEMENTS LIKE ORNAMENTATION AND LACEY PATTERNS?
Baroque is very bold and allows both mobility and emotion. Tattooing is a private ritual — people are vulnerable when they expose their skin. That drama, intensity, and vulnerability resonate with Baroque ornamentation. I gravitated toward it because it lets the body carry emotion and decoration simultaneously.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY LIVE WITH YOUR TATTOOS OVER TIME?
I want them to be reminded of their own body. My tattoos aren’t meant to conceal or correct, but to encourage appreciation. They should unfold slowly, like a painting. It should function as an echo of the moment it was made, quietly shaping how they move forward in life.
LUMEEMOE
YOUR WORK OFTEN HAS BAROQUE-INSPIRED QUALITIES. WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO THIS STYLE?
I love the curves, organic shapes, and ornamentation — they remind me of nature and concepts like the Fibonacci ratio. Everything is interconnected, and that sense of harmony and motion appeals to me.
WHAT ROLE DOES MOTION PLAY IN YOUR COMPOSITIONS?
Honestly, I don’t think a piece is ever truly finished. Art is always evolving, and I can revisit it later to improve or refine it. For now, a piece is “good enough” when it satisfies me at that moment. That sense of motion and evolution is important.
YOU OFTEN INCLUDE ANIMALS LIKE HORSES AND RABBITS IN YOUR WORK. WHY THESE FORMS?
Animals are a bridge between my culture, nature, and personal expression. Horses and rabbits, in particular, represent freedom, playfulness, and connection to natural cycles. I want my art to feel alive, almost animated, reflecting life and growth.
AS YOUR WORK EVOLVES, WHAT VISUAL ELEMENTS REMAIN ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAIN THE IDENTITY OF LUMEEMOE?
Softness, ornament, and manual craft are non-negotiable. I combine bold statements with delicate, Baroque-inspired forms. That interplay — bold yet soft, intricate yet personal — is what makes my style recognisable.
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