When I returned to Dark Water Ink nine months later for three sessions to complete the chest  and back piece, the experience shifted. This time, I came not to grieve but to celebrate. These sessions, which coincided with my birthday, marked a turning point—a celebration of the woman I had become: a breastless, tattooed, unapologetic force of nature.

Whether you're treating a friend who's been talking about their first tattoo for months, surprising a loved one for their birthday, or finally taking the plunge yourself, our gift cards open the door to working with some of the Bay Area's most skilled artists.

See why Dark Water is the best tattoo shop in the Bay Area on Destination SF’s show on CBS! Dark Water had the chance to share the studio’s story with our local Bay Area news network. Hear what our shop owner, Katie Mizuno had to say.

DUDURU, our resident anime specialist, won his category at the O’ahu Tattoo & Art Expo this January.

Berkeley’s local newspaper, Berkeleyside stops by Dark Water to get to know our studio!

Working from patterns she collects herself, Katie Mizuno creates tattoos that flow seamlessly around the curves of her clients’ bodies. Mizuno calls her pieces ‘biophilic,’ and it’s easy to understand why. Her designs incorporate patterns based on leafs, shells, water, blood splatters, roots, soil, and more to create textured, layered tattoos that look more like fossils than drawings.