Moni Marino

Moni Marino is an Italian tattoo artist with Sicilian origins, known for her unique artistic journey and for breaking into the male-dominated tattoo industry. Growing up with a painter father and a seamstress mother, Moni was immersed in art from a young age, drawing and painting with her hands and feet. At 14, her passion for tattooing began after seeing a tattoo magazine, leading her to tattoo her first boyfriend and his friends at 15, which caused controversy in her small Italian town. After completing her studies, Moni left Italy for Germany to escape the prejudice she faced. She ended up in Berlin without a plan or money, working in a pizzeria while learning German, and slowly building her tattooing career. It took four years to save enough for a new tattoo machine and supplies, but she persevered. Despite facing discrimination as a female tattoo artist, her tenacity and humility helped her succeed. Today, she runs her own tattoo shop, “Black Barock,” in Essen, Germany, which also includes an art gallery and a clothing store. Moni’s shop reflects her unique style, with a baroque-inspired design. Although formal art training can be helpful, Moni believes true artistic talent comes from within and can’t be learned in school. Her favorite colors are black and coral red, and she enjoys tattooing Venetian masks, as well as children’s and women’s portraits, bringing their souls to life. Her favorite aspect of her job is traveling around the world and making people happy, drawing inspiration from artists like Steve Soto and Carlos Torres. If she weren’t a tattoo artist, Moni isn’t sure what she’d be, indicating how deeply rooted her passion for tattooing is.