Interview with Shani: The World of Animal Tattoo Mastery

We’re thrilled to introduce Shani Nizan, an extraordinary tattoo artist and illustrator based in New York, whose work has captivated thousands of people who regularly follow her work on Instagram.

Shani has carved out a unique niche in the tattoo world with her captivating blend of human and animal forms, creating tattoos that are as whimsical as they are intricate.

Her micro-realism style, which incorporates elements of dotwork, fine line, and realism, results in stunning black and grey designs that are rich with character and personality.

Shani’s artistic journey began in Israel, where her talent first gained attention during her time as an educational NCO in the Israeli military.

Since then, she has trained under renowned tattoo artists, guested at some of Europe’s top tattoo studios, and showcased her work in prestigious New York galleries, including the Philippe Labaune Gallery and Dacia Gallery. 

Her distinctive style often portrays animals in human clothing or engaging in human activities, resulting in tattoos either give animals a human likeness or bring out in humans the animal instinct.

She is also an incredible illustrator. Each of her pieces is a standalone work of art, often rendered in a striking mix of black and grey with etching-like precision. We’ll also delve into her broader philosophy on art and tattooing.

In 2024, as a resident artist at Atelier Eva in Brooklyn, Shani continues to push the boundaries of tattoo art, earning her international recognition.

In this interview, we’ll explore Shani’s creative process, particularly how she collaborates with clients to craft one-of-a-kind designs. 

Join us as we get to know this remarkable artist, exploring the inspirations behind her truly one-of-a-kind creations and understanding the passion that drives her to create intricate stories full of character and personality in every tattoo she designs.

How did your experience in the Israeli military influence your decision to pursue this art form?

In Israel, you have to go to the army when you’re 18, I served for 2 years and as an educational officer in a fighters unit. Besides being in charge of education and culture in the unit, I also, like everyone, had to guard a few hours a day.

While guarding , I was drawing on my forearm – mostly animal drawings. I posted pictures of my arm on Facebook and those became viral. People thought these were tattoos and started requesting appointments. That made me study how to tattoo, I had a waiting list before I even started. 

Your drawing skills are one of a kind. Can you tell us how you got to this level? 

I started drawing when I could hold a marker, like all the children, I just didn’t stop. When I was 15 I realized I could use my drawing skill to be financially independent, so I started drawing for money: people portraits, pet portraits, whatever someone wanted.

That’s it actually, I haven’t stopped drawing ever since and every day of drawing got me a little bit better. 

Are you exclusively doing tattoos in your own style, or do you dabble in other styles every now and then?

If we scale tattooers in between “tattoo makers” and “tattoo artist”, while tattoo maker would be the equivalent of a sawer or contractor , I am working to be on the other side, what would be the equivalent of a fashion designer or an architect.

I care more about the subject and style of my art than the medium it’s being done in. I am not interested in being good at tattooing small letters or traditional japanese style. 

Your work is known for blending human and animal forms in unique ways. What inspired you to develop this distinctive style?

After drawing many animals and many humans separately I got a compliment from my great aunt Glia – “you copy well” , which didn’t at all feel like a compliment.

I was down for a while not knowing how to create something new until I saw a youtube video named “everything is a remix” , showing that there isn’t really something completely new, everything is a process of copying, adjusting, and combining. That’s how I started connecting my humans and my animals together. 

How do you turn a person into a character? Do they choose the animal or do you suggest based on their personality? 

You’de be surprised how infinite the options are. Some people want to humanize their pets, some want to fit an animal to their childhood picture, some have private jokes or nicknames that would suggest the animal to use.

Some are just obsessed with an animal and want a unique way to tattoo it, some just come for the artpiece and care about the visual aesthetics of the animal. 

Did anyone ever take offense to the animal assigned to them? 

Even though I don’t assign myself the animals to the people, like mentioned above, I feel like people find a way to get offended by too many things these days.

Unfortunately, I learned that pandas can be associated with Pedophilia, as well as raccoons, which can also be associated with anti-black caricatures. Of course, I will never use all kinds of monkeys in that subject.

All big animals can offend the overweight, rats can offend the jews, farm animals are a painful subject for the vegans and bunnies belong to Playboy now. I wish animals were just animals and everything was less complicated around. 

Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you collaborate with clients to design and complete a tattoo in a single day?

Evey tattoo I do is actually a collaboration process between the client and myself. I tattoo one client a day so I don’t have any time limit whatsoever.

Using photoshop, we’re playing with all these different colleges, experimenting and adjusting and improving until we create the one design that is perfect for us.

The client is incharge of keeping the story inside our sketch, and I am incharge of making sure we have a design that will look good also in 10 or 20 years. From there, the stencil and the tattooing part – that’s easy, that’s all I’ve been doing in the past 8 years. 

Many people love micro-realism pieces but are hesitant in getting them due to uncertainty of how they’ll age. What’s your experience been with your aging tattoos?

This is what I explain to all my clients: Tattoo is actually many many many small dots. Each dot has two “worst case scenarios”: 1.expanding or 2. fading.

When the work is really big, let’s say abstract lines all through your back, I might go towards the expanding worst case, cause it wouldn’t ruin the essence of the art piece.

For small detailed works like mine I prefer the tattoo to fade out , and commit to all my clients with lifetime warranty.  Also, I can always show them my thigh which has the first human animal I made 8 years ago. 

Your work is displayed in prestigious galleries like the Philippe Labaune Gallery and Dacia Gallery. How do you see your art evolving?

This forever search in the artistic journey is unbelievable. Both me and my husband (who is a Jazz drummer) , announce, like, once a month maybe: “That’s it, I GOT IT”. New idea, new style, new skill, new marketing method. And then another crisis of feeling blocked and lost until the next time that “we get it”.

So to your question, I have no idea how my art is evolving, and if what I’m currently exploring is going to stick or if it’s not, I am working mainly on trusting the process, enjoying the search and embracing the lack of stability. 

As a resident artist at Atelier Eva in Brooklyn, what do you enjoy most about being part of that creative community?

Working next to a master like Eva Karabudak is such a great honor. Atelier Eva is one of the most beautiful spaces I’ve ever been in , and I’m proud to be one of this inspiring team. 

What are some of the most memorable tattoos you’ve created, and what made those experiences stand out to you?

Well, the most memorable tattoos I made are the ones that I see quite often, since what started as a tattooer-client relationship, became a true friendship which I’m thankful for. 

What advice would you give to someone looking to develop a distinctive style in tattooing?

First, don’t cave to the immediate income. I believe it’s better to wait for the write tattoo request and build a strong portfolio even if you get less money these few months. My husband is saying that its “buying stocks of your own name”

Second, It is all games , everything around. If you play the game of developing a unique style – make up levels and challenges inside the game and pass them one by one. “Collect x different inspiration photos and draw a tribute to each one of them”  “make x forearm designs that are similar to one another” “write x tattoo artists to come see them work in return for taking videos of them or cleaning their station”. 

Last, don’t change your core character qualities , embrace them. If you’re a minimalist, use a minimal amount of colors and needles. If you’re messy and tend to leave projects open on the table for days – don’t paint with oil paints. 

Are there any upcoming projects or exhibitions that you’re particularly excited about?

I now explore new ways to combine humans and animals.

After diving into the creative world of Shani Nizan, it’s clear that her tattoos are much more than just ink on skin—they are intricate stories brought to life with unparalleled skill and imagination. Shani’s ability to seamlessly blend human and animal combined with her mastery of microrealism, has made her a standout artist in New York.

As Shani continues to create one-of-a-kind designs that resonate with her clients and the broader art world, we can’t wait to see where her creative journey will take her next.

If you’re looking to make a tribute tattoo – to friendship, to love, to a pet – Shani’s vision will turn it into an unique masterpiece.

For more beauty in your life, be sure to follow her on Instagram @shani.nizan.