Ukrainian Artist Rita ‘Rit Kit’ Zolotukhina Talks Floral Tattoos
Blackwork, neo-traditional, and tribal tattoos are pretty and all, but have you ever seen realism in the form of straight-from-nature floral ink? Rita "Rit Kit" Zolotukhina, the Ukranian artist taking Instagram by storm one tattoo at a time, uses leaves, flowers, and branches as her inspiration to make perennial plants permanent in the most jaw-droppingly realistic way. "I don’t use pictures, sketches, or photos from the internet. I work only with fresh flowers and plants or herbarium," Zolotukhina says. Once she finds the flora of her choice (or her client's), she draws it in the flesh and etches it into skin. While this type of stencil-less tattoo can be incredibly difficult, especially when it comes to intricate flowers, after four years in the business and an unbreakable bond with nature, not a detail is lost in Zolotukhina's meticulous process. The end result? A stunning piece of art that looks plucked from the ground and placed directly on your skin.
Click through the slideshow ahead to stop and smell the roses as you discover Zolotukhina's work (AKA your newest tattoo obsession).
Geranium Gal
Green Envy
Oak Obsession
Sweet Pea Simplicity 
Cheery for Cherry Blossoms
Pretty in Pansies
Epidendrum Love
French Forget Me Not
Fern Fanatic
Crazy for Caesalpinia
Botanical Beauty
Hydrangea Happiness
Blue-Violet BabeWishing for a piece of Zolotukhina's work? Each piece requires a plane ticket and quite a bit of patience, as she's located in Kiev and even a small tattoo takes around two to three hours due to the highly detailed process. "Prices [vary on the] individual [and how long it takes to bring their vision to life]," Zolotukhina says. "The time I need for a tattoo depends on a lot of things, like the [intricacy] of the flower and placement of your tattoo."
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Do you love these floral tattoos? Tell us @BritandCo!
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Do you love these floral tattoos? Tell us @BritandCo!
All photos via Rita Zolotukhina
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Do you love these floral tattoos? Tell us @BritandCo!
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Small tattoos, big tattoos, and everything in between — we’re here for it. In this series, we chat with budding and well-established tattoo artists about body art from around the world.
Do you love these floral tattoos? Tell us @BritandCo!
All photos via Rita Zolotukhina
Illustrations by San Trieu