Dark art
and tattoos.
A tattoo studio, horror apparel shop & dark art gallery on Essex Street, in downtown Salem, Massachusetts. Custom blackwork and horror tattooing, original art and creations, and a program of events through the year.
BlackworkDark artHorrorDark illustrativeFlashCover-ups and reworksSpecial effectsCommissions
On view now
Slit Your Guts
Tomb Gallery's grand opening event: a group exhibition of artists working across several mediums in dark art, with collaborative painting on opening night. Around twenty artists from around the world, including Dan Seagrave & more.
Who is showing- Dates
- 19 September to 2 November 2026
- Opening
- Opening reception Friday 19 September, 7pm
- Entry
- No cover
- Where
- 274-276 Essex St, Salem
The artists.
All threeNobody here tattoos everything. Each artist keeps their own books, so the inquiry goes straight to the hand you picked.
Markuson InstagramBlackwork, Dark illustrative, Special effects and masksTheir work, until a photograph of them arrives 
Justinon InstagramDark art, BlackworkTheir work, until a photograph of them arrives 
Mileson InstagramDark illustrative, Flash, CommissionsTheir work, until a photograph of them arrives
Healed work
Black ink, and a lot of patience.
This is what the shop means by horror work: no color, no shortcuts, built out of thousands of individual dots until the light in it is real. Pieces at this scale are drawn for one person and tattooed over more than one sitting.
Start a piece like this
On the wall.
Available designs, ready to be taken as they are or redrawn for you.
Bog WitchFlash by Justin, available 
Cave DwellerFlash by Justin, available 
Skull MoonFlash by Justin, available 
SkullsFlash by Justin, available 
TendrilsFlash by Justin, available 
CrawlerFlash by Justin, available
From the idea to the ink.
Four steps, and a named person at the other end of every one of them.
01
Send the idea
Pick the artist whose work already looks like what you want, then tell them the idea, roughly how big, and where on your body. References help. So does saying you are unsure.
02
They reply, not a front desk
Each artist reads their own inquiries and answers them. If what you want sits outside what they do, they will say so and point you at whoever is the right hand for it.
03
Drawing
The design is drawn for you and for the placement you picked. Nothing is pulled off a wall of repeats unless you have chosen a piece of flash on purpose.
04
The appointment
Bring photo ID. You must be 18 in Massachusetts, with no exception for parental consent. Eat beforehand. Written aftercare is given to you on the day.
It is called a gallery for a reason.
Original art on the walls, masks and special effects pieces built in house, and a standing collection of oddities and specimens. You can walk in and look at all of it without booking anything.
Inside the studio
Plan your visit.
- Where
- 274-276 Essex St, downtown Salem
- Getting here
- Straight off Essex Street in the middle of downtown. Walk in from Washington Street or from the Salem Witch House end.
- Parking
- There is parking on Essex Street. Through the October season the street is closed to traffic, so use the city garages, Museum Place or South Harbor, and walk the last stretch.
- Open
- 11am to 6pm, seven days a week through September and October. Hours vary the rest of the year, so call ahead.
- Walk in
- Come in and look around the gallery any time. Tattooing is by appointment.
- Age
- 18 and over to be tattooed. Massachusetts law, no exception for parental consent.
Wear it out.
The shop
Salem FrogOriginal design, $30 
Salem Frog PulloverOriginal design, $50 
Reaper PulloverOriginal design, $50 
Blood SkullsOriginal design, $30
The work goes up as it happens.
Follow @tombgalleryFinished pieces, work in progress, new flash and whatever is on the wall that week. The artists post their own, so follow the hand you want.
The studio
@tombgalleryThe shop, the gallery, the shows and the oddities.
Markus
@markus_blanchardBlackwork, Dark illustrative, Special effects and masks.
Justin
@justindarkartDark art, Blackwork.
Miles
@milesrat.artDark illustrative, Flash, Commissions.
Come in.
We are on Essex Street in downtown Salem. 11am to 6pm, seven days a week through September and October. Hours vary the rest of the year, so call ahead.Walk in to look around, or book ahead if you want to be tattooed.
5.0 stars from 34 reviews on Google