Tatus by Koré

I just got my tatoos from kore and it was an amazing experience. It was a little scary not having any idea of cost, but she works quick and the price seemed fair. She also let me pick her brain about some other ideas I had and was really amazing about answering questions. She’s very intuitive and sees a tattoo as more than just a thing you want inked on your body. It is an experience and a journey. I will go back to her from now on.

Done 3 tattoos with Kore and I’ll never go anywhere else. Now I can’t compare to other shops because this is the only place I’ve gone. But there’s a reason — she’s friendly and fast. I mean fast. Take this into consideration if you’re pricing out tattoos (I don’t as I’m not price sensitive when it comes to this service). Always been impressed with the quality of the artwork, and she explains everything that she is doing. Calm and pleasant without a hint of seediness.

To start, I will say that Kore was fabulous while tattooing. She made it a great, calm atmosphere and a pleasant experience. However, everything before the needle hit my skin was anywhere from awkward to intimidating. I got my tattoo in May 2010.
When I first came in, I had never had a tattoo or talked to any shop about them. I gave the front desk man an idea of what I wanted and asked what I should expect for price. He said he couldn’t give me an estimate. Even ballpark? Not really. So I had no idea where to go from there. He told me I could make an appointment and that once it was drawn I could get a better idea. I assumed that this was just how it was… so I gave the deposit and left feeling uncertain.
When I got to the appointment, I sat with Kore and we drew out my idea. I had a very rough sketch with me. She stuck to my sketch a more than creating her own interpretation. She questioned a lot of my suggestions which it made it hard to be persistent about what I wanted.
Like I said, the tattooing process was great, and we had some nice chitchat during the session.
I came back a couple months later because my mom had pointed out (since my tattoo is on my back I can’t see it super well) that some areas were a bit more «faded» than others, just not completely uniform, so I went in to ask about a touch-​up. Pretty standard procedure.
The guy at the front desk told me it didn’t look faded. I had nothing to retort, since I can’t see it and point to where it was. So I have a slightly faded looking tattoo.
Overall, she’s a good artist, but I would have appreciated a little more support and graciousness. I was 18 and it was my first tattoo, maybe it was my age that made them question me, but it really didn’t help me get the best tattoo I could have gotten.
That being said, I don’t regret my tattoo.

I got my first tattoo, (or Tatu) by Kore back in 1994, I have been going to her since! This is a very sacred and healing place, not a place where you go in and pick flash off the wall and get it tattooed on you! If you want a unique experience, and a comfortable one, get your tatu’s done with Kore! Everything is done custom, no one else will have your tattoo! I like the fact that Kore only tatu’s 3 days a week, so she can keep her artistic flair and not get burnt out. You will not be dissappointed! Kore is also a Shifu, a martial arts instructor opperating another business Five Element Martial Arts (FEMA) check both of them out!

Kore did a large, lovely piece on my right arm that was based on a very vague .jpg of bridal henna that I’d printed out. I’ll make a list to keep this brief– but here’s some reasons why I was so impressed with her:
–She sat me down and talked to me about my piece
–She took out some books in her shop– NOT tattoo books, actual books of artwork and drawings from different cultures, hardbound– to find the specific type of design I wanted, and compared it with other similar designs in case I wanted to change it up
–She custom drew the piece while looking at my arm, incorporating it into existing tattoos I already had on my arm (to make a sleeve)
THEN she began to charge. So the drawing of the tattoo, the consultation, all which took about 30 – 45 minutes, were free. Amazing. Try finding that anywhere else.
Also, if you’re a first timer, she walks you through the process with breathing exercises.
My experience with her was lovely. Her shop was warm, smelled of incense and was very GLBTQ friendly. I highly, highly recommend her. Her shop was the only place I left feeling BETTER after my tattoo. Plus my work is solid, no scarring and no bleeding. Great skill.
She’s conveniently located within Uptown, and her shop has parking.

Wow, this is where I got my first tattoo when I was 18! I went with a friend as moral support, and in one of the only moments of impulsiveness and spontaneity in my life, I made an appointment for a couple days later. It wasn’t wholly unplanned though — I knew what (a sun) and where (outer bicep) I wanted it. I’d been mulling over the idea for about six months after my high school BF drew a sun on my arm and I liked it so much I didn’t wash it off. I have no idea who tattooed me, but I learned a lesson: if you don’t request a specific artist, you will get the lowest ranking artist able/​willing to do the tattoo; and if you have a very simple design, such as a basic black sun, you will probably get the apprentice. I don’t mind my sun 15 years later, but now that I know a few things about tats, I can see the line work is poor and it scarred/​raised after it healed. Oh well, first tattoos are rarely good tattoos. I will give the artist credit for improving upon the rough sketch I brought in.
Anyways, Tatus by Kore is now a well established shop, having been in the same location for 20 years. Impressive! The website states they do only custom work. I assume this means they don’t have any flash, which is the way to go, IMO. Also, I know my friend chose this shop because it’s woman friendly and owned. In a male — dominated field, I think it’s important to have a place where women can feel safe, welcome, and comfortable. I doubt I’d ever return to Tatus by Kore but if you want getting a tattoo to be more of a spiritual experience, this just may be the shop for you.
Deposit required. Credit cards accepted but there’s a 10% service fee. Great Uptown location.