If you are looking for a specialist for the perfect Japanese tattoo in Berlin and Brandenburg, Marten Reckmann is the right person to contact.

Marten Reckmann was born in Berlin in 1983 and made a name for himself in the graffiti and street art scene at a young age. He quickly realized that it wasn't just a pastime, but his true calling. Art has always been, and remains, his greatest passion. Even during his school years, he turned his hobby into a profession and quickly landed several commissions in Berlin. His clients included the Columbiahalle, one of Berlin's most famous concert halls, and the GRIPS Theater in Berlin-Tiergarten. Some of these early works by Marten Reckmann can still be admired today.Even in his earliest works, it was noticeable that Asian motifs repeatedly appeared. His particular fondness for dragons, the so-called Lóng, from Chinese mythology is unmistakable. It is therefore no surprise that Asian dragons, tigers, geishas, and Hannya masks were among his favorite motifs in his first tattoos. To this day, he has maintained his love for Asian art and specialized in Japanese tattooing .

Marten began tattooing in 2007 while studying at BTK in Berlin. After practicing on his own body, he started creating his first Japanese tattoos on friends and acquaintances in his Berlin apartment. From 2009, his clients could get their Asian tattoos done by Marten Reckmann at the renowned Berlin tattoo studio B52. Shortly afterward, he joined the team at the Potsdam tattoo studio SMILE & CRY. His portfolio grew steadily, but still focuses primarily on the Irezumi (bodysuit) style. In addition to tattoo motifs from Japanese mythology , Chinese tattoos are now also among his specialties. After two years as a team member, Marten took over SMILE & CRY in 2011. He has since built up a clientele who travel from all over Germany to get Japanese tattoos from him. Photos of his tattoo work have been published in almost all German-language tattoo magazines. In 2020, Marten opened his second studio, STUDIO 21, in Berlin. He tattooed for three years in both Potsdam and Berlin until 2023, when he permanently closed the renowned SMILE & CRY to dedicate himself fully to his son, born in 2017, and his tattoo art. At STUDIO 21, Marten works alone, allowing him to focus entirely on his own Asian-inspired tattooing without the responsibility of other artists.Since 2026, Marten has been working in his private studio in Berlin. Thanks to his client base, which had grown over the years, he no longer needed a traditional retail store.This development enabled him to fulfill a long-held wish:A separate, independent working environment that is entirely focused on his artistic processes.In his private studio, Marten can focus his work even more – with more time for intensive preparation, freer work until late at night, and direct access to his personal collection of books and references from around the world, which are an important part of his artistic development.

Marten Reckmann is a versatile tattoo artist, but his greatest strength and passion clearly lie in Asian tattooing . He describes his style as a mix of Chinese and Japanese tattoos . His specialty is large-scale, three-dimensional Asian tattoos . These are usually sleeve tattoos (the entire arm is covered with an Asian-style tattoo) and irezumi (almost the entire body, or the torso and thighs, are covered with a Japanese tattoo ), which are completed in several sessions. Marten currently has several full-body tattoos in the modern Japanese style in progress, including work for both men and women from Berlin and Potsdam, as well as from other parts of Germany.When it comes to tattoo sleeves and bodysuits, Marten places particular emphasis on the background. In contrast to traditional Japanese tattoos with their graphic, flat backgrounds and motifs, Marten's Neo Japanese tattoos are characterized by a more three-dimensional style with many soft color gradients. He places great importance on authenticity, by which he means a successful balance between minimalist yet dynamic backgrounds (water, clouds, winds, and rocks) and playful effects in the main motif, reminiscent of Chinese tattoos, creating a powerful impact. With female clients, Marten sometimes focuses more on the motifs and less on the background (simply to achieve a more feminine, delicate effect that flatters and accentuates the body shape).

Are you interested in Japanese or Chinese art and looking for a tattoo artist in Germany for your Japanese-inspired tattoo ? Then feel free to drop by Marten's studio by appointment. The traditional way to get the right Asian tattoo in Japan is a personal meeting with the tattoo artist, where they learn about you and then choose your design. If desired, Marten follows this Asian tattoo tradition here in Germany as well. Of course, you can also have Marten tattoo a design of your own choosing.After a short introductory period, he will first draw your design or, during the tattoo appointment, draw it directly onto your body with special pens in order to then place it under your skin.

Are you no longer happy with your tattoo? Covering up youthful indiscretions or poorly done tattoos is also one of Marten Reckmann's strengths. A cover-up is not easy and involves a completely different approach compared to a regular tattoo. Healing over an existing (e.g., scarred) tattoo proceeds differently, and this must be taken into account. Over the past few years, Marten has helped many Berliners, Potsdamers, and Brandenburgers find new happiness by covering up unwanted tattoos. This has allowed him to gain extensive experience and become a true specialist in this challenging field.When getting a cover-up tattoo , you should be aware that the final result will always be a larger tattoo than the original and ideally more colorful, as the old colors need to be covered. Since the areas being covered are usually quite dark, Marten strategically places light elements next to the old tattoo, such as flowers, waves, or clouds, to create a balanced new Japanese-style tattoo . A lot of time goes into the planning and preparation for a cover-up . For example, Marten creates collages with Photoshop to give the client an idea of the finished Asian-style tattoo . The old work has to be incorporated into the new Japanese tattoo in some way. Therefore, clients getting a cover-up tattoo need to be somewhat flexible and open to the tattoo artist's ideas.Thanks to his years of experience, you can trust Marten and will leave happy and with a good feeling after what is often a multi-session procedure. In exceptional cases, Marten also recommends having the old tattoo lightened with a laser in just a few sessions. While this may sound a bit expensive at first, it then allows you to choose lighter designs. It's even possible that less time will be needed to cover the lightened design, thus saving you some money.

The style of Japanese tattoos, in particular, lends itself to cover-ups due to its large, colorful, and expansive designs. The scale pattern of a large Japanese koi carp, for example, is ideal for covering up old tattoos. Similarly, the often very generously proportioned backgrounds of clouds, waterfalls, rock formations, or depictions of wind provide an optimal basis for a cover-up tattoo .If you want to have your old tattoo covered up by Marten Reckmann, motifs from the Chinese or Japanese tattoo tradition are particularly suitable.

Of course, Marten's own skin is also adorned with a large Asian tattoo in the traditional Chinese style, which he had done by one of the most renowned tattoo artists in China. His Chinese tattoo is still a work in progress and has been expanded during several trips to Beijing. Marten has since developed friendships with several tattoo artists in China and plans to work there himself as a guest artist in the future.

Over the years, Marten Reckmann has been a guest at numerous tattoo conventions , showcasing his Chinese tattoo style from Berlin to a national and international audience. He served as a judge at the Berlin and Vienna conventions and participated in tattoo conventions in Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, and Dortmund, among others. His work also includes, for example, the poster for the 2015 São José Tattoo Convention in Brazil.Despite invitations from all over the world to tattoo conventions and guest spots at some of the most renowned tattoo studios in countries like America, Australia, and China, Marten is now less frequently seen at conventions, as he prefers to focus on larger projects requiring multiple sessions. He often can't meet his high standards of quality, which sometimes borders on perfectionism, with smaller pieces at tattoo conventions . Therefore, it's best to get your Japanese-inspired tattoo done directly by Marten at his studio in Berlin.

Marten Reckmann's portfolio includes not only Japanese tattoos , but also tattoo prints and tattoo flash designs in the Neo-Japanese style, which you can order not only locally in Berlin, but also from anywhere in Germany via his online shop . In addition to digital drawings, you'll also find oil paintings and merchandise, such as T-shirts and sweaters in the Asian tattoo style.

In order for Marten to give you the perfect Japanese tattoo, he works exclusively with machines that are precisely tailored to his working method.With nearly 20 years of tattooing experience, Marten even started building his own coil machines. Using custom-made parts from renowned manufacturers and individual setups, he could create powerful lines, rich areas of color, and smooth gradients extremely quickly – perfect for traditional Japanese tattooing.Over time, however, it became clear that the intense vibration and greater weight of classic coil machines were putting a strain on his wrist in the long run. After a severe inflammation in his wrist, Marten consciously decided to switch to modern, ultra-lightweight rotary machines.These offer today:significantly less vibrationa lower weightprecisely adjustable stroke and give parametersand consistent power for long sessionsThis allows Marten to continue delivering the same technical perfection for which his Japanese and Chinese tattoos are known – only with more ergonomic tools that enable him to work in a focused, fast and clean manner over the long term.Whether fine lines, strong contours, soft shadows or large areas of color – Marten adapts each machine precisely to the respective step in the Irezumi process.Thus, his quality standards remain unchanged, while his work has become more ergonomically sustainable.