Polish tattoo artist Joanna Świrska, aka Dzo Lamka, creates stunning body art inspired by plants, animals, fungi, and a bit of surrealism. As the owner of Nasza Tattoo Shop in Wrocław, Poland, her unique designs often feature a mix of these different elements in a distinct illustrative style that uses bold, black linework and select areas of color.

Świrska showcases some of her best work on her Instagram. These range from sprawling arm and leg tattoos to smaller designs on the shoulder or ankle. And while each tattoo is tailored to the style and needs of the client, the artist is famous for some of her reoccurring motifs, one of which is a graphic outline of a fern on a black background. By utilizing negative space and the stippling shading technique, Świrska creates the illusion that she spraypainted over the skin in black with a fern as a stencil.

In addition to her plant-inspired tattoos, Świrska also illustrates a variety of insects, birds, and animals. While some of the pieces lean into surrealism with depictions of cats riding bicycles and kangaroos carrying backpacks, others capture animal species in realistic detail. Oftentimes the focus of the tattoo, such as a flower or an animal, will be filled in with color while the rest of the design is done in black. This limited palette makes her body art extra striking to behold.

You can purchase art prints, mugs, shirts, and other merch from Świrska’s Etsy shop, and see more tattoo art by following the artist on Instagram.

Polish tattoo artist Joanna Świrska, aka Dzo Lamka, creates exquisite body art inspired by plants, animals, and fungi.