Anko | Founder

Anastasis Koukoulas was born in Athens, Greece, he is a multi-sponsored award-winning artist specializing in micro-detailed realism (mostly portraits) and has been working as a tattoo artist since 2014.

Anko Tattoos is considered by many to be the best tattoo artist in Oslo, Norway (den beste tatovøren i Oslo, Norge) and one of the best tattoo artists in the world. Today he lives in Oslo where he made his dreams come true and owns his own tattoo studio.

He moved to Rhodes, Greece in 2015 where he took his first steps as a professional tattoo artist working in a studio. After that he attended BMX.net seminars in Düsseldorf, Germany. His skills started to grow rapidly and then he went to Denmark for his first European tour. He stayed in Copenhagen and worked in a busy tattoo studio with other great artists.

After his time in Denmark, he received many job offers from tattoo studios in England. He worked for 2 years as a tattoo artist and manager in a busy, 20-year-established tattoo studio just outside London.

He attended the Maidstone Tattoo Convention (a charity tattoo festival without awards) twice. There he received his first recognition for his level of skill, and he had his first interviews, TV appearances and articles written about himself in Vice Magazine.

In 2018, he was invited to work and teach tattoo techniques and color palette seminars at Salvation Tattoo Lounge, an award-winning and extremely well-known tattoo studio in Miami, Florida.

Anko has welcomed many famous people to his studio, including Tomine Harket – the singer of Darkside feat. Alan Walker with over 700 million views and who is also the daughter of Morten Harket (the Norwegian singer of the band A-HA)

He has also tattooed world-famous footballer Christos Zafiris who plays for Slavia Prague and the Norwegian national team, Aron Dønnum (Standard De Liege) and Celin Bizet Ildhusøy who played for Paris Saint Germain.

Anko has been invited to the most iconic tattoo studios, including InkedMagazine NYC, Inknation NYC, Inkology NYC & LA, and more. He was also invited to the first New York City VIP Invite-Only Tattoo Convention in 2022, featuring the top 300 artists in the world, created and organized by Donal Cranny.

Currently ranked among the top 100 tattoo artists globally, he has achieved a position of distinction in the industry. His insights and expertise are featured in an exclusive interview hosted on Monster Crawling, a renowned platform showcasing the pinnacle of tattoo artistry worldwide.

He continues to travel the world, attending conventions, collaborating with other artists, teaching seminars, and creating new stories with tattoos while taking his art to new levels.

Today, Anko is sponsored by Inkjecta (leading world-class tattoo machines from Australia), Kwadron (the most popular needle company in the world), HustleButterDeluxe (the best pre-, under- and aftercare cream products from the USA), DermalizePro (world-renowned aftercare products), and I AM INK (one of the best ink companies in the world).

Anko’s artistic journey enjoys a global following, with admirers spanning different regions. Notably, UFC announcer and host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Joe Rogan, has expressed his admiration for his work.

This recognition was underscored by Joe Rogan’s decision to repost Anko’s creations on his social media platform — with over 18 million followers — paying tribute to the exceptional skill and artistry he displayed.

A curated look at Anko’s hyper-realistic portrait work — precision, detail, and artistry brought to life.