HELEENA MISTRY

TATTOO ARTIST

Heleena is breaking cultural taboos, one tattoo at a time. Aged 18 and set on becoming a tattoo artist, she was unable to find any other South Asian women working in the industry. So she decided to train as one herself, and become the person she wanted to see back then.

What also sets Heleena apart is that her tattoo designs are deeply influenced by her Indian roots:  drawing on Mughal portraiture, mehndi-inspired florals, Hindu iconography and traditional tattooing practices from Gujarat. Many designs also reflect feminine elements, either in how they look or what they signify. 

Heleena is outspoken about the need for better representation, and for her mostly South Asian and POC clients to be able to see themselves in their choice of design and artist. Her profile recently caught the attention of the team behindMughal Mowgli, starring Riz Ahmed. She is now featured as one of several British-Asian creatives whose family heritage informs their work.