It’s official — coming in just behind Italy, Swedish people are the second most tattooed in the world. An incredible 47% of Swedes have at least one tattoo. In fact, the average number of tattoos is four. Read more about Sweden: The Second Most Tattooed Country In The World.
In Stockholm, there is an enormous tattoo culture — it has even been called the tattoo city of the world. There are more than 50 tattoo studios in the city where you can get inked with some incredibly reputable designers and guest artists from all over the world, making tattooing an undeniable component of Swedish culture.
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Why do so many people have tattoos?
Stockholm is a unique and creative city where people really want to express themselves. Through body artm they are not only showing their individuality, but also celebrating the things that make life special. The oldest form of body decoration has certainly never gone out of fashion — there is even evidence that the Swedish vikings from 900 years B.C. had ink. They had tattoos from the necks down to the tips of their fingers, particularly in dark green colours, and images of trees and knotwork were extremely common.
Tattoo studios in Stockholm
In modern-day Stockholm, there is an incredible choice of tattoo studios to choose from. Salong Betong is often frequented by well-known celebrities and musicians. They specialise in black and grey work and are particularly good for portraits. Last time the Guns ‘n’ Roses ex-guitarist Slash was in town, he headed to Catapult Tattoo for some ink. Moreover, two of the artists at the studio, Emilia and Fabbe, took part in the television show “Master Ink.”
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Stockholm Ink Bash
Every year in August, there is a three-day tattoo convention that attracts some of the best artists and designers in the business. This year is the 24th year for Stockholm Ink Bash. This tattoo-extravaganza showcases 15 different categories in competition from “Best of New School” to “Best of Neo Traditional”. It gives professionals in the industry a great platform for showcasing their work. It also gives the customer the opportunity to get inked by some of the iconic names in tattooing. If you are addicted to the buzz of the needle, it is a great event with some first-class entertainment.
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Sweden: The Second Most Tattooed Country In The World
Tattoos are deeply ingrained in the culture of Stockholm. You can walk down the street and be inspired by all of those full sleeves that you will see strutting around town, and perhaps you’ll even feel the need to take part and get inked yourself!
Sweden: The Second Most Tattooed Country In The World is written for Daily Scandinavian by Karoline Gore. Karoline is a freelance writer from Stoke on Trent in the UK who left the corporate grind when she started a family and has never looked back. She enjoys contributing to a range of online publications on the topics that are important to her.