‘My parents weren’t impressed at first, but now I do my mum’: meet some of the world’s best tattoo artists

‘It’s always an expression of control’: Grace Neutral. Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Observer

Grace Neutral, London

Instagram has transformed tattooing. There was an old white man biker mentality when I started out – they were the gatekeepers. There was sexism, racism and an old boys’ club. The only way to cut your teeth and carve out a career involved apprenticeships in their shops. Now we can advertise ourselves. That’s what I do to my 500,000 Instagram followers.