Portraiture is, in my eyes, one of the most underrated forms of art.
Unlike grand compositions filled with motion and narrative elements, a portrait strips everything away—leaving only presence, truth, and emotion.
There is no story to distract you, no setting to guide the feeling.
There is only the soul behind the eyes.
Tension. Joy. Silence. Wounds. A lifetime held in skin and subtle expression.
To create a portrait that speaks—whether through tattooing, painting, or drawing—is to listen deeply to the subject.
To understand not just how they look, but what they carry.
For collectors, if you’re ever drawn to a portrait, look closely.
Does it make you feel something real?
If so, you’ve found more than a face. You’ve found a fragment of life, frozen in ink.
This piece was created a few years ago, during a time when I focused more on smaller, intimate works.
Even now, I still find deep joy in returning to projects like this—where simplicity holds just as much emotion as scale.
Thomas Carli Jarlier 