Tattoos are art. They are not vandalism inflicted on the body. They are, and have always been, a signifier of status, wealth, honor and beauty. They aren’t, and should never be, relegated to the realm of the criminals and the underworld. Tattoos are works of art committed to a canvas that is the ultimate work of art: your body. 



Tattoo artists and brothers (real blood brothers) Pido and Mico Geologo take this view of the art of the tattoo very seriously, and it’s something they have successfully communicated in their new tattoo shop in Kamagong Street in Makati, Artcoholic.



Pido, the elder of the Geologo brothers and senior tattoo artist, even venerates tattooing over other visual arts. “For me, it’s the highest form of visual arts because you need a lot of techniques, not just in the arts, but even in considering the health of the clients. And the best part is you meet people of different kinds coming from different places and you are given access to their life stories,” Pido says.  




Given that tattooing doesn’t just begin and end with committing drawings on skin, the Geologo brothers founded Artcoholic on the idea of it being an art hub. “The main area, of course, is the studio where we do tattoos and piercing. But the studio also hosts painting sessions and music jam sessions. We have a recreation area where our clients can play board games, play the instruments in the studio, or bring their laptops for remote-working. We want it to be a creative hub,” Pido says. 




Following strict health protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Artcoholic does monthly events ranging from tattoo sessions, painting classes, body piercing promos, and open mic sessions where they invite artists to perform and clients and guests are free to jam.


To ensure that clients and the tattoo artists do not risk themselves in spreading the virus, here are the steps they follow to ensure safety, apart from the minimum requirements of mask and shield wearing, sanitation and social distancing: 


- A storage area for all the equipments and materials used strictly for tattoo and piercing only.


- An area to sterilize all of our equipments strictly for tattoo and piercing only.


-Artists and piercers wear disposable gloves, PPE, and Bouffant Cap


-Cling wraps are used on the tattoo bed to avoid contact. Wraps are changed after use. 


-A fog machine is used thrice a week to disinfect the whole studio.


A host of influencers and key people in the counter-culture scene have had their tattoos done on Artcoholic. If you’ve finally decided on that one design you want to commit on your skin, you know where to go. 


Artcoholic is at 9599 Kamagong st., Makati City. For bookings contact: 0915 332 0936/0927 958 0686. Check out their social: Artcoholicph.official