This review is way past due. Last year, I was absolutely devastated over the loss of Prince, and I needed something to help me heal... something permanent... a tattoo! I wanted to have "him" with me in some way for the rest of my life... enter ZULU. I am a hairdresser, and a wonderful client of mine said to me one day as we were discussing tattoos, "there's nobody on earth I'd let tattoo me other than Zulu". This is HIGH praise coming from this particular woman, so I looked him up. As soon as I went to his website, I felt an energy that I can only describe as "this is it, this is my guy", I knew it immediately. Browsing through his work, I was blown away. His meticulous attention to detail is unmatched. He is an ARTIST of the highest degree. His website images don't do justice to the work- I don't think any picture of his work can do his art justice. You *have* to see it to believe it. I had a consultation with him, and shared with him images of things I liked, and things I'm drawn to, but mostly I wanted him to create it. Several days later, he sent me an image of what he came up with, and it was a slam dunk, just as I knew it would be. It took 3 sessions to complete, and it is a MASTERPIECE. I love the art on my forearm so much it's stupid. I get so much attention because it's so incredible. I even met Prince's band The Revolution, and they were blown away! Wendy and Lisa couldn't stop touching it! Anyway, you get my point, right? So here's another thing... Zulu himself is an amazing human being. He and I had the most wonderful conversations and now he's my friend forever. Choose Zulu as your artist and you'll have more than just a tattoo, you'll have a masterpiece. read more

Zulu Tattoo - My gorgeous Prince tribute tattoo. #masterpiece - Tattoo Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

So this past weekend was my first experience directly under the hand of Zulu. Since we visited a few months ago for him to work on my wife's back, he and I have been in contact about what I've had planned for the remainder of the sleeve on my right arm. Because I travel for 6 months of the year the remainder of our conversations have been via email and also a 30 minute FaceTime consultation while I was overseas in place of a telephone call. Khani (shop mgr/wife) has done a wonderful job throughout of keeping the flow going and making sure that Zulu was available to discuss issues with me as needed. Zulu spent a considerable amount of time prepping for our arrival this trip as I had provided a number of different pieces of Tibetan art work to use for reference on my arm. After the FaceTime consult he fully understood what I wanted and that he was also given full artistic license to do what looked right and would flow with what I already had on my arm. He is only the second artist I've aver talked to that immediately got my concept and was genuinely excited about doing the work I was requesting. This was first obvious to me when we originally visited, but once we had talked and he started the work on the final design, the true light came out in Zulu. I arrived about 15 minutes early to the studio and just sat while he continued to collect his thoughts and worked to get the various pieces setup. We started with a fitting of the largest piece that would be done which was a full incarnation of Mara in demon form. Zulu only needed to resize it once and then worked on the angle and layout on my forearm (which is not big in any way) however, he laid it out to allow for the rest of the piece around and on the back of my arm. Once we had it fully laid out he applied the initial stencil for Mara and then he got to work. Zulu uses a rotary gun to apply his tattoos (as does Pinky which makes for a soothing sound in the small space). The beauty of this style of application is that unlike a normal gun that basically hammers you throughout the process, the rotary is more like a smooth flowing motion. When you add this to the extremely delicate touch that Zulu has while tattooing it makes for the absolute most pleasurable experience I've had to date. There was literally no pain until about the last 10 minutes of the session. We took a total of 4.5 hours to do all of the outline work for my arm, the detail in person looks unlike any I previously thought possible from a tattoo. His classical art training comes out when he works and his chair side manor is beyond reproach. The music in the studio is also spot on allowing Zulu to get into his groove and produce the beginnings of a masterpiece. I say beginnings because I can't wait to come back to finish the color and shading in November. Bottom line: if you want something that is truly a masterpiece on you as the canvas...than Zulu is the person to do it for you. There is no longer a need for me to search out an artist for my other projects, Zulu has a client for life. read more

Zulu is quite well known as a tattoo artist. Depending on your taste and style, you may fancy him a talented man. His work and portfolio is limited or focused compared to several artists today. He charges a substantial amount of money for his time - while working on drawings, actually tattooing or discussing next steps. It's all on the clock. I understand this is a business, but he is interrupted several times throughout the visit and time isn't deducted for that. His wife/Manager doubles as a bully that won't let you communicate directly with him when she says the appointment is over or Zulu needs a break. While the work itself was mediocre - I'm still debating about covering it up despite the hefty (way overpriced) cost because the overall experience was horrible. I don't even want to look at the piece due to the way they treated me. I would never recommend anyone to this shop or to any business venture Zulu or Khani are involved in. They need to learn how to respect people, manage their schedules, and problem solve more effectively. I tried for months to directly resolve this issue. Only now am I drafting a review to let them know (and others) - they could have made everything okay if they were decent, humane, kind people. But, they aren't. They are driven by ego and money. With so many talented artists these days - do yourself a favor, find someone who will appreciate your business and treat you with respect. read more

Pinky Rae is simply magical. She is a phenomenal artist. She listens, which is KEY in a tattoo artist. Pinky Rae has created multiple custom pieces for me, and each one is soooo beautiful!!!! The location is comfy and welcoming, and nestled away from rowdy and high traffic areas. Zulu and Khani have created a sanctuary and culture of creative beauty with their Zulu Tattoo Austin location. Hands down.. BEST OF AUSTIN. read more

See all

We first went to Zulu for an incredibly important tattoo as it was for my husband who lost his precious daughter quite unexpectedly and tragically. He didn't really know what he wanted - just something special - so we told Zulu a bit about Jody, the young woman she was, what she liked, etc, and also sent a picture of her. He designed an original piece of beautiful art to commemorate her. He also incorporated some butterfly leaves we found in her wallet. This was his description of the tattoo: Lotus - Buddhist symbol The roots of the lotus plant are stuck deep in the mud, but it still grows above murky water and blossoms into a beautiful, sweet-smelling flower. The lotus can be analogous to how we rise up from our sufferings to reach enlightenment, beauty and clarity. I wanted to physically represent Jody but we are only using symbols...therefore...there are 2 piercings on the lotus petals; the lotus representing her physical body rising up through the mud of this world...the butterfly wings representing her spirit being free. Butterfly - I used the wing you sent... Transformation of the soul. Just as the caterpillar struggles to change its form to a beautiful butterfly so do we and eventually leave our bodies to become beautiful unlimited spirits. Rose Quartz Crystal Promotes unconditional love, forgiveness, infinite peace and compassion. It creates harmony in relationships and teaches us about the true essence of love. It purifies and opens up the heart allowing us to express our emotions. It reduces stress and tension, allowing us to express love, sensitivity and compassion towards ourselves and others. Rose Quartz brings a deep inner healing, enhancing self love, self trust, self worth and self confidence. Crystal is in shape of teardrop. Tears represent the balance of joy and sadness. You may cry tears of sadness when missing her, but you also cry tears of happiness when you think of the joy she brought into your life. We have since gone back to Zulu for two beautiful manta ray tattoos to commemorate an amazing trip our family took last summer. We still have 4 more family members in line to get the same tattoo. We could not recommend Zulu more highly not only for the artist he is, but the human being. read more

Pinky just gave me a saguaro cactus tattoo and I couldn't be happier! It turned out better than I had ever imagined. It was really comforting that she offered to give me breaks throughout the 2 hour session, though I chose to just brave through it. I HIGHLY recommend Pinky at Zulu Tattoo read more

I have start this review by admitting that I'm quite biased. Kody at the L.A. location did my back piece, and I love it (and the shop and the staff; they're all just great) Eager to see the Austin location, I booked an appointment with Pinky. She is as welcoming, as she is talented. In L.A., Zulu is the gold standard of artistry, professionalism, and creativity of tattoo shops. I'm glad to see the same traditions being carried on in Austin. Once my new tattoo heals, I'll update this review with photos. Thank you so much Pinky! I look forward to my next tattoo with you! read more

I had an amazing tattoo experience here yesterday. I was tattooed by Zulu who is an incredible artist and the nicest man! He has been tattooing for 25 years and is amazing at what he does. The price was fair considering his experience and ability, and he works quickly, which makes the hourly rate reasonable. Zulu is the man to go to for anything esoteric; my tattoo is based on a tarot card, and he also has some sick work of Hindu gods and goddesses. While I was there, I met the other artist, Pinky Rae, and she was also very nice and her work was really pretty, too. The shop is beautifully decorated and very clean. I felt so comfortable there. If you have a cool tattoo you want but feel intimidated walking into a shop, call these guys and set up a consultation. Can't wait to go back for my second session. Thanks Zulu, and thanks Khani who manages the shop and helped me set everything up! read more

Zulu is amazing. From the initial consultation to this sketch of the idea to the experience in his studio - amazing all the way! I took him a couple of photos of my home state of New Mexico and explained I wanted a window to NM in my forearm. He delivered in spades. I chose him due to his color work, and it came out perfectly. Deep, rich colors. He's lovely to chat with while getting your ink and his instructions for aftercare were on the mark. Buy some of his ointment at the shop - it's all natural and it's healing the tattoo really well. THIS IS THE GUY. read more

Zulu Tattoo - New Mexico view by Zulu! - Tattoo Near Me - Austin, Texas

Amazing shop! Zulu is a true renaissance man! Trained in classical art and you can truly tell within his detail and delicate touch. My aunt is a recent breast cancer survivor and opted for a colorful tattoo rather than recreate an areola. As you can imagine my Aunt was very apprehensive at first considering how intimate this tattoo was going to be for her but Zulu and his amazing wife Connie both took the time to reassure her and quite literally gave her the VIP treatment. They arranged to shut down the shop for her session to give her some privacy and took such care of her throughout the session to ensure she was comfortable with his design and the tattooing process and also managed to make what could be an awkward situation in to a spiritual experience. Thank You Zulu!! read more

I chose to get tattoos to celebrate my 50th birthday. I decided upon 3 ideas that I felt symbolized my first 50 years. I researched artists across the US for close to a year. I read about Zulu and his spiritually-driven approach to his work in articles I read on-line in early 2014. Each article had him based in LA. At the recent Austin Tattoo Convention in 2015, I learned that Zulu recently opened a second studio in Austin. I saw him working and met his business partner and wife, Khani. I looked at his exquisite portfolio of illustrative and tribal art. I scheduled a consultation with him soon after. Every aspect of my experience with Zulu Tattoo has been excellent. My consultation with Zulu was scheduled efficiently and warmly via email by Khani. Zulu listened, asked questions, and gave his thoughts and ideas throughout my comfortably engaging and honest consultation. A month later/yesterday, he inked the first of two of my ideas on my right hip- a stunning, richly colorful, finely detailed, illustrative piece of art. His ability to visually transform my ideas into a tattoo went far beyond my expectations. Zulu's classical art training and years of tattooing couple seamlessly with his deep understanding of ritual, his innate kindness and attentive professionalism. My 5 hour session in his clean, Zen-like studio was both relaxing and intense (he works fast and with an impressive focus). It was a thoroughly soul-satisfying experience. I feel most fortunate to return in 2 weeks for Zulu to create my second tattoo. read more

Well it was time to add art to my body. The design, location and zulu's artistic touch made a first timers special. tip allow time for the design of your tattoo and think of the colors before the time comes to pick them. Zulu only uses the best in ink and is meticulous in care and sanitary work. Very proud to say I am in the tribe of those who wear ink from this shop. read more

I have known Zulu for many years as he has done several of my wife's tattoos. I have always been reluctant to get one, but Zulu was very patient and talked me through the procedure. Finally made the decision to get one done. My design was 100% custom, but it's is created from the combination of both fine art and real life. Zulu did an amazing job on the design and blended to two art forms perfectly. He patiently worked with me on the design as I made a few detail changes. The final drawing was exactly what I wanted and included all my suggestions and ideas. The tattoo is spectacular! I could not ask for anything better and have received many great comments from strangers. Zulu is a true artist, a patient and caring person who is not satisfied until you are satisfied. Thank you Zulu and Kahni for making this experience everything I had hoped for. I strongly recommend Zulu. read more

Have had two great sessions with Pinky Rae to finish a geometric totem down my arm. Color work and detail is amazing! Pinky is nothing but professional, and made sure I was part of the creative process. The studio is clean and compact. Highly recommended! read more

Pinky is amazing!!!!!!! I have been looking for someone who could do a certain detail for years. After I met with her and she did a sketch of the tattoo. I knew then I found the right artist. It turned out so good, I sent my wife, my son, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law and her boyfriend. Everyone of them was blown away at her work. My son lives in Chicago and wants more work done. He is waiting for his next visit here so she can do it. My wife is planning also more work from her. I get compliments every time some sees the tattoo. And I refer her out with 100% confidence. Chris Harris read more

This place is a welcome change from the other tattoo parlors I have been to. It's homier, cozy, and has an all around feel-good vibe about it. Pinky Rae has given me two tattoos thus far and I will most definitely be coming back for more. The quality and style of her artwork is amazing. If you want a creative, flexible artist who does wondrous things with color, she is the tattoo artist for you. This company and the tattoo artists genuinely care about their customers and take pride in their work. Consultations are free (with appointment), so I highly recommend checking them out. read more

Now I know why so many of these reviews refer to an "amazing experience." That's really what it was. The whole experience, not just the incredible final product, was more than I could have hoped for. During my consultation with Zulu, it was very clear that he is a true professional who takes his work very seriously. His enthusiasm was great to see, and when he sent me the sketch, I was blown away by how perfectly he understood and translated my vision. When I arrived for the actual tattoo, I was immediately put at ease by the ambiance of the studio, which is seriously on par with a beauty spa or something. As many others have said, this is a welcome departure from your run of the mill tattoo shop. Any remaining anxiety I had vanished as soon as Zulu actually got to work. I'm not sure how the man makes getting tattooed essentially pain-free, but he does. The appointment flew by, and Zulu was so rad to talk to. I am beyond happy with my tattoo, and can't imagine having gone to anyone else. While the term "tattoo artist" is sometimes thrown around rather loosely, Zulu is a true artist and a great human. read more

Zulu does great work. Getting a tattoo from him was a very good experience overall. He is a really good artist and he will definitely bring your ideas to life. read more