vancouverme_tattoos x Natsukashii Ink T-Shirt Collaboration

Ocean and Steven first met at the 2024 Vancouver Tattoo and Culture Show, where each was impressed with the others t-shirts designs. The idea to create something cool together was likely sparked there, but it took another half a year of busy schedules before the two were able to connect again over an event invitation and a simple question: Do you want to do a collaboration?

But what does a collaboration look like between two artists who create similar but distinctly different artworks?

One, Steven of @vancouverme_tattoos, is a tattoo artist who is still exploring the possibilities of his medium, but with a diverse portfolio of works and styles to draw from. The other, Ocean of Natsukashii Ink, is an artist specializing in Japanese-style works for his clothing brand. They settled on a format that was familiar in the tattoo industry: the Battle Royale, where two or more creatures face off against each other. This battle, however, had a touch of harmony as both creatures were settled in a yin-yang design, the Taoist symbol that shows two complementary but interconnected forces in constant tension. They decided to create their creatures separately, without knowing what the other was doing, but both fitting within the yin-yang template, so that the collaboration was unified yet spontaneous, representing both of their unique styles and approaches in a harmonious whole that would rock out on the back of a t-shirt!

The artwork that resulted represents collaboration itself, in a time when so many people are pulling apart. Through art, friendship, and a little imagination, we can come together to make amazing things for ourselves, each other, and for anyone who wants to join in the idea of a creative, collaborative, and compelling future.