The Gallery Tattoo Wellington
Where skin becomes canvas and anything is possible
Custom tattoo studio and art gallery in central Wellington, New Zealand
Our resident artists, Juse, Jesse, Matt, and our apprentices Spectral Grace and Stella Nova, specialise in a diverse range of styles from fine line and illustrative tattoos to black and grey realism, intricate geometric patterns, vibrant colour work, tā moko, kirituhi, Polynesian designs, and more.
Whether you are looking for a small, delicate piece or a full-scale custom sleeve, our artists combine technical precision with a collaborative design process to ensure your tattoo is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
Take the stairs or elevator up to level two and step into a light-filled, inclusive, and queer-friendly exhibition space, surrounded by original works from local artists and the soft hum of tattoo machines.
Make an appointment
The Artists
A talented, diverse team with varied artistic inspiration and decades of collective tattooing experience
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a consultation cost?
Consultations are free!
What happens at a consultation?
This is a chance to sit down with your tattoo artist to talk about your tattoo. It usually takes about 30 minutes and in this time you can discuss the subject, style, size and placement of the tattoo. If you have specific images or ideas, make sure to bring them to the meeting. At the end of the consultation, if you want to make a booking, you'll pay a deposit to secure and confirm your tattoo session.
I'm not in Wellington - can I still have a consultation?
Even though we strongly recommend in-person consultations, we may be able to arrange a remote consultation via phone or internet. Email your artist directly to discuss this option.
How much will the tattoo cost?
This depends on many factors including the tattoo size, style, colour, placement, and your discomfort/pain threshold. The more information you can share with your artist during the consultation process, the more accurately they can estimate the cost of your tattoo.
Our artists each have hourly and full-day rates. The full-day rates enable you to relax into your tattoo session - the more relaxed you are, the less painful the process is! Your tattoo is an investment for life.
Our artists each have hourly and full-day rates. The full-day rates enable you to relax into your tattoo session - the more relaxed you are, the less painful the process is! Your tattoo is an investment for life.
Why do I need to pay a deposit?
The deposit is paid to protect both your and your tattoo artist’s time. Once you have paid the deposit, your appointment is secured and no longer available to other clients.
Our tattoo artists are sought-after professionals and are often booked out weeks to months in advance. This is not their hobby - tattooing is how they earn their living. Your tattoo artist produces a unique design for you and turns up whether you do or not.
If a client cancels or reschedules their appointment without giving reasonable notice, the tattoo artist loses some of their income. In the event of a late appointment change or no-show the deposit helps to pay for the tattoo artist’s lost work time and time spent designing the tattoo
Please see our deposit policy for more details.
Our tattoo artists are sought-after professionals and are often booked out weeks to months in advance. This is not their hobby - tattooing is how they earn their living. Your tattoo artist produces a unique design for you and turns up whether you do or not.
If a client cancels or reschedules their appointment without giving reasonable notice, the tattoo artist loses some of their income. In the event of a late appointment change or no-show the deposit helps to pay for the tattoo artist’s lost work time and time spent designing the tattoo
Please see our deposit policy for more details.
When will my artist design my tattoo?
No drawing or design work is done until you have a confirmed booking secured with a deposit. To be able to keep up with all of their bookings, our artists draw for you close to the day of your appointment.
Will you send me the design?
No.
You can see the design at your tattoo appointment (except in special circumstances).
Our tattoo artists take a lot of care and time to ensure that your own unique requirements are met. Until your piece of art is in your skin and paid for, the design belongs solely to your tattoo artist.
In order to protect its integrity we do everything we can to ensure that it cannot be replicated somewhere else, on someone else. You select your tattoo artist based on their artistic style, their portfolio, and their personality. Your artist takes time and care to create a design to your own individual requirements.
On the day of your appointment, once you have seen your design, you may wish to make slight tweaks and alterations. Tattoo artists are used to making small design changes on the spot according to your feedback. This is part of their skill set.
You can see the design at your tattoo appointment (except in special circumstances).
Our tattoo artists take a lot of care and time to ensure that your own unique requirements are met. Until your piece of art is in your skin and paid for, the design belongs solely to your tattoo artist.
In order to protect its integrity we do everything we can to ensure that it cannot be replicated somewhere else, on someone else. You select your tattoo artist based on their artistic style, their portfolio, and their personality. Your artist takes time and care to create a design to your own individual requirements.
On the day of your appointment, once you have seen your design, you may wish to make slight tweaks and alterations. Tattoo artists are used to making small design changes on the spot according to your feedback. This is part of their skill set.
Will you copy someone else's tattoo for me?
No.
We take every effort not to plagiarise another tattoo artist’s work. If you like an artist’s work, you should try to book in with them for your tattoo. Often this is not possible, so we encourage you to bring a picture of any tattoos you like to your consultation as inspiration to share with your artist.
Together with your artist you can discuss what it is that you like or don't like about the design so that they can come up with an original design for you with these ideas in mind.
We take every effort not to plagiarise another tattoo artist’s work. If you like an artist’s work, you should try to book in with them for your tattoo. Often this is not possible, so we encourage you to bring a picture of any tattoos you like to your consultation as inspiration to share with your artist.
Together with your artist you can discuss what it is that you like or don't like about the design so that they can come up with an original design for you with these ideas in mind.
What's your policy for underage clients?
If you are under 18 years old, you must tell us before the day of your tattoo session. Our artists reserve the right to refuse a tattoo if they have not been informed you are under the age of 18 in advance.
You will need a parent or legal guardian’s permission to get a tattoo. On the date of your tattoo appointment, you and your parent or guardian must come to the studio in-person to fill out and sign a consent application form together. You will also both need to bring photo ID so we can make a copy of both and store them with the completed form.
This is so we can prove that you are related and that a parent or legal guardian’s consent has been obtained. If your parent does not share your surname, you will need to show a copy of your birth certificate. If your legal guardian is not related to you, you will also need to bring evidence of legal guardianship.
Once all the paperwork is in order, the parent/legal guardian is free to leave if they like.
If you have paid a deposit in advance, but
You will need a parent or legal guardian’s permission to get a tattoo. On the date of your tattoo appointment, you and your parent or guardian must come to the studio in-person to fill out and sign a consent application form together. You will also both need to bring photo ID so we can make a copy of both and store them with the completed form.
This is so we can prove that you are related and that a parent or legal guardian’s consent has been obtained. If your parent does not share your surname, you will need to show a copy of your birth certificate. If your legal guardian is not related to you, you will also need to bring evidence of legal guardianship.
Once all the paperwork is in order, the parent/legal guardian is free to leave if they like.
If you have paid a deposit in advance, but
- you have not informed us you are under 18
- you did not come along with a parent or legal guardian
- you and/or your parent or legal guardian do not bring photo ID and adequate proof of legal guardianship when applicable
then the tattoo artist will keep your deposit to offset lost revenue.
What payment methods do you accept?
We have EFTPOS for both debit and credit cards and accept contactless payments. We also accept cash.
Is the studio clean and safe?
Yes.
New Zealand has guidelines to encourage good practice and cleanliness in tattoo studios but we choose to follow the strict rules on sterilisation and cleanliness set out in the U.K. and Europe. Before each tattoo, we clean our stations with a medical-grade disinfectant and cover beds, armrests, work benches, and instruments to create a sterile workspace. We only use sterilised single-use needles that are disposed of in clinical sharps bins after each tattoo. Most of the ink that we use is vegan friendly, made of organic pigments, and complies with EU standards. It is poured into single-use ink caps before each tattoo. Instruments are cleaned in our digital autoclave, where appropriate. Our stations are cleaned after every tattoo with medical-grade disinfectant to ensure there is no risk of cross-contamination between our clients.The rest of the studio is cleaned every morning to keep it nice and fresh.
New Zealand has guidelines to encourage good practice and cleanliness in tattoo studios but we choose to follow the strict rules on sterilisation and cleanliness set out in the U.K. and Europe. Before each tattoo, we clean our stations with a medical-grade disinfectant and cover beds, armrests, work benches, and instruments to create a sterile workspace. We only use sterilised single-use needles that are disposed of in clinical sharps bins after each tattoo. Most of the ink that we use is vegan friendly, made of organic pigments, and complies with EU standards. It is poured into single-use ink caps before each tattoo. Instruments are cleaned in our digital autoclave, where appropriate. Our stations are cleaned after every tattoo with medical-grade disinfectant to ensure there is no risk of cross-contamination between our clients.The rest of the studio is cleaned every morning to keep it nice and fresh.
Do you sell vouchers?
Yes!
You can get one in-person at the studio, by emailing, or phone call. You can pay for them with debit/credit card or cash. We can also send you a payment link or accept a bank transfer if you can't get in to see us. We will post the voucher out to you or can courier it for an additional small fee.
We also sometimes give them away as prizes so follow our social media on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok to stay in the know.
They look like this:
You can get one in-person at the studio, by emailing, or phone call. You can pay for them with debit/credit card or cash. We can also send you a payment link or accept a bank transfer if you can't get in to see us. We will post the voucher out to you or can courier it for an additional small fee.
We also sometimes give them away as prizes so follow our social media on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok to stay in the know.
They look like this:
Contact Us
Please use this form to request a free consultation
You can ask for a specific artist or, if you don’t know who to pick, we will match you with the best artist to realise your vision. Our artists are popular so be sure to secure a consultation appointment as soon as possible!
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