New Zealand may have provided the filming locations for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but we think it should be revered for the spectacular tattoo artists that work there - especially a certain
Ben Kaye…
Based in
Matt Jordan’s Ship Shape Tattoo studio in Auckland, New Zealand, Killer Ink sponsored artist Ben Kaye has been dropping jaws with his incredible colour realism pieces for about nine years.
Originally from England, Ben’s career has seen him work in studios across the globe, including taking an apprenticeship in Malaysia, living in a bohemian neighbourhood in Madrid, Spain and opening a small studio in Bergen-Belsen, Germany.
Fast forward to the present and Ben can be found working alongside fellow Killer Ink sponsored artists
Matt Jordan,
Steve Butcher and
Nicklas Wong Kold in Ship Shape Tattoo.



Ben is known for creating stunning colour realism tattoos, especially incredibly realistic portraits, with Killer Ink Tattoo supplies, including inks from one of his sponsors,
Fusion Ink. A particular favourite of ours is his
realistic portrait of Walter White from the TV series Breaking Bad.
We’re not quite sure what goods the UK exports to New Zealand these days, but Ben Kaye certainly seems to top the lot!
You can check out more of Ben Kaye’s incredible work by heading over to his
Facebook and
Instagram pages.


