Welcome to The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, Melbourne’s Premium tattoo studio
If you’re looking for a high-quality tattoo shop in Melbourne, you’ve come to the right place. Our tattoo parlour offers the best in custom tattoo designs, executed by our team of highly skilled artists. Whether you’re after a small and delicate piece or a full sleeve, we’ve got you covered.
Our tattoo studio in Melbourne is designed to create a comfortable and safe environment for all of our clients. We take pride in our commitment to hygiene and safety, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and employing only the best quality inks and disposable tools.
At The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, we understand that a tattoo is a personal and meaningful choice. That’s why we work closely with each of our clients to ensure that their tattoo design is unique and perfectly suited to their individual style and personality.
We welcome walk-ins to our Melbourne tattoo shop, and we are always happy to discuss your ideas and answer any questions you may have about the tattooing process. Whether you are a first-time tattoo client or a seasoned tattoo enthusiast, our friendly and professional team is here to help you create the perfect tattoo.
So if you’re looking for the best tattoo Melbourne has to offer, look no further than The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery. Book your appointment today and experience the difference that a premium tattoo studio can make.
We’re proud to be a family-owned business that’s passionate about tattooing and the tattoo community. Our crew is made up of a diverse group of creative individuals, with different nationalities and backgrounds, who all share a common love for the art of tattooing. Whether you’re looking for a traditional tattoo, a custom design, or something in between, our crew is dedicated to providing you with a unique and unforgettable tattoo experience.
We’re dedicated to providing our clients with the best possible experience at our tattoo studio. Your feedback matters!
We are proud to host some of the greatest tattoo artists from all over the globe here at The Dark Essence. This allows us to always offer you unique experiences.
We have new tattoo artists every month so keep an eye on our instagram or sign up to our newsletter for updates about which artists we have coming!
If you are an artist interested in joining us, email info@thedarkessence.com
We’re absolutely thrilled and grateful that you’ve trusted us with bringing your vision to life. We promise to give you our absolute best, because your satisfaction is our top priority.
You’re in the hands of Melbourne’s best tattoo artists, so rest assured that you’re in good hands. Thank you again for choosing us and we can’t wait to see your amazing tattoo!
We want to make sure that we can give you the best possible experience when you visit us for your tattoo appointment. That’s why we require a deposit for all bookings, to secure your spot and ensure that we have everything we need to make your vision come to life. We hope you understand that deposits are non-refundable, but we’re happy to work with you to reschedule your appointment with a minimum of 72 hours notice.
If you’re in the area and don’t have a booking yet, we would love for you to come in and see us! We’ll do our best to find a spot for you, so that you can experience the artistry and creativity of our Melbourne-based tattoo artists. Thank you for your understanding and we can’t wait to see you soon!
⚜️STUDIO CLOSURE FAQ⚜️
Since we’re unable to respond to Instagram direct messages at this time due to Instagram issues (great timing… I know 🥲), we have compiled a FAQ post answering all your questions.
If you still have more questions, please only reach out to us via email.
📧 info@thedarkessence.com
❗️TYPO: Dec 23rd (2025) not Dec 2023
“Goodbye & Thank you 🖤
The time has come for us to announce that The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery is closing its doors for good this holiday season.
Words can’t explain our gratitude. Thank you for the last 7 years trusting us with your skin, your stories, and your support.
While this chapter is ending, we want to give you the final chance to be a part of it.
Love,
The Dark Essence Team”
📌 Final Bookings:
We are accepting bookings until 23 Dec. This is your last chance to experience the beautiful familiar walls of our studio.
🤍 For Our Loyal Clients:
Any future bookings with your artist will be relocated to a new studio and your artist will be the best contact for any updates.
For enquiries, email:
Info@thedarkessence.com
Gizmo came to life with this tattoo!
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Resident Artist: @brian.tattooer
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
If you’re thinking about using AI for your next tattoo appointment, read this first!
What are your thoughts?
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*all images in this carousel post was taken on the studio phone, none are Ai generated.
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Inner child 🤍
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Resident Artist: @bellawild.tattoo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Absolutely GAGGED 🦋⭐️
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Guest Artist: @bbok2gonzo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Eagle done in one session
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Resident Artist: @rafacoutotattoo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Redefining the modern form of masculinity in FineLine tattoos.
Our resident FineLine artist Bella has been tattooing more men in the recent years and it shows how the perception has been changing.
“I love that you can create a piece that is so personal and has so much meaning to it but is small enough to only show it when you want. It can look so random but be so special” - Bella
What are your thoughts?
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Resident Artist: @bellawild.tattoo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Who do you think had the best posture?
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DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
You are a disco ball 🪩
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Resident Artist: @bellawild.tattoo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Get tattooed with the best 🖤
Established in 2018, The Dark Essence is home to some of Melbourne’s friendliest tattoo artists.
Just check out what some of our clients have to say:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A beautiful, clean and professional studio with a relaxed atmosphere and awesome artists and staff. So happy with how my tattoo is coming along, huge shout out to @brian.tattooer for his insane colour work 🤘 - Kelsey
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a fantastic experience. @bellawild.tattoo is extremely lovely and gentle. I’m a fainter, but didn’t even flinch!! Highly recommend. - Elise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks @ivan__vision for your AMAZING work!!! I get compliments everywhere I go. Ivan is so skillful, passionate and a perfectionist with his work! Thank you so much again!!! - Aly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Just wanted to say a big thank you to @rafacoutotattoo , he did an awesome job with cover up/add on and touch up. I couldn’t be more happy with the end result. Thank you - Michael
Have you been tattooed here??
Meet the artist: Rafael
We handed over the mic to Raf this week to let us know a bit more about him.
⚜️Why did you decide to move to Australia?
I wanted a fresh start for me and my daughter — a place with peace, safety, and opportunities to grow.
I’ve always admired the Australian lifestyle, the art culture, and the balance between work and nature.
It felt like the right place to rebuild my life and create something meaningful.
⚜️ How do you think your English developed since your first week at The Dark Essence?
Oh, it’s changed a lot! When I started, my English was really basic. I remember using a lot of gestures and smiles to communicate.
Everyone at the studio was super kind and patient — they helped me every day.
Now I feel much more comfortable speaking, even when I make mistakes. I just enjoy the conversations and the connections that come with it.
⚜️ What do you look forward to in the future of your career?
I want to keep evolving as an artist, doing tattoos that have emotion and meaning behind them.
I’d love to work with other artists, maybe do some collaborations, travel, and one day have my own space — a studio filled with art, music, and good energy.
⚜️ What’s a fun fact about you?
Before tattooing, I was a drummer!
Music still flows in my veins — sometimes I start tapping rhythms with my tattoo machine without even noticing.
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Resident Artist: @rafacoutotattoo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Our fav guest artist is BACK ٠࣪⭑
Gonzo will be guesting with us 11-22 Nov only so get in quick and book a spot for your next hotness upgrade!
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Guest Artist: @bbok2gonzo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Cute fine line day with Bella ₊˚⊹♡
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Resident Artist: @bellawild.tattoo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
‘Free-soul’.
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Resident Artist: @ivan__vision
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
#redtattoo #realismtattoo #melbournetattoo
⚜️ Walk ins welcome ⚜️
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
No one does embroidery tattoos better than Brian
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Resident Artist: @brian.tattooer
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Beautiful fine line butterfly trail
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Resident Artist: @bellawild.tattoo
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
#butterflytattoo #finelinebutterfly #redfinelinetattoo #redtattoo #melbourne
Incredible Looney Tunes x Dragon Ball Z mashup
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Resident Artist: @andrewsmithtattoo
Email AndrewSmithTattoo@gmail.com for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
Sugar glider in Brian’s iconic style
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Resident Artist: @brian.tattooer
DM us or email for booking enquiries!
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The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, located in Richmond, Melbourne is open 7 days a week from 11am-6:30pm.
Our studio aims to cultivate a beautiful, safe, respectful space for tattoo collectors and artists!
For general booking enquiries:
Instagram DM: @thedarkessence
Email: info@thedarkessence.com
Website: thedarkessence.com
