Meet the Artist: Taaj Purdey
This month we caught up with Taaj Purdey, a Melbourne-based tattooer who mixes classic traditional tattooing with a healthy amount of chaos, humour, and “see what happens” energy. Working out of Zandaka Tattoos in McKinnon, about 20 minutes outside Melbourne, Taaj has been tattooing for roughly three years now—long enough to get properly stuck into the craft, but still hungry to keep pushing his work and having a bit of fun with it.
Tattooing at Zandaka
Taaj currently tattoos at Zandaka Tattoos, a shop that’s become home for him while he builds his style and client base. Like most tattooers, the shop environment isn’t just about the work—it’s about the people constantly coming through the door.
For Taaj, that’s one of the best parts of the job.
“The clients. I love the characters and all four corners of the world you meet in the shop.”
Tattoo shops have always been a weird melting pot of personalities, and that’s exactly what keeps things interesting day to day.
Artists That Inspire Him
Like most tattooers, Taaj pulls inspiration from a whole bunch of different artists. Some he’s met, some he hasn’t—but all of them have played a part in shaping how he approaches tattooing.
A few of the tattooers who have influenced him include:
- Eugine (@yeah.gnar)
- Mark Lording
- Bugsy
- Stacy Ann
- Chad Koeplinger
- Nissaco
- Mashkow
- Juddy Rotten
Each of them has helped push his creativity in different directions.
“Every one of them—whether I’ve met them or not—has been a massive inspiration in where I take my creativity or just myself in the industry.”
Life Outside Tattooing
When he’s not tattooing, Taaj keeps things pretty simple.
His spare time usually involves one of three things:
- Playing PS5
- Heading to the pub
- being with the missus
- Hanging with the Dawg
- Or just seeing where the day ends up
“Pretty much going where the wind takes me… generally to my PS5 or the pub. We love the pub.”
Music is always part of the mix too, and the track currently on repeat for him is “Ready Made” by Westside Gunn and Keisha Plum.
The Homies
No tattooer exists in a vacuum, and Taaj is quick to shout out some of the artists around him. If you’re in Melbourne and thinking about getting tattooed, these are some people he reckons you should absolutely check out:
- @thefoodaddy
- @shakeyrhys
- @inksper
- @juttyrotten
- @sanobotta
- @sho_kawabe
- @connorjacktattoo
- @taajcanttattoo
In his words:
“Oiiiiii these cunts are people you’re missing out on if you don’t book with ’em.”
Fair warning taken.
This Month’s Sticker Design
The design featured for this month’s sticker is actually something Taaj drew a while ago but never did anything with.
Eventually he figured it deserved to live somewhere other than a sketchbook.
The piece itself was inspired by the work of @yeah.gnar, whose style has been a big influence on him.
One Very Weird Tattoo Story
Every tattooer collects strange stories over time, but Taaj has one that’s a bit darker than the usual drunken tattoo tale.
He once tattooed a client who lived with a friend of his. One day that friend ended up in hospital with a severe stomach issue caused by wild mushrooms. When he finally got home, the client had completely disappeared—along with all his stuff—and left behind an unfinished sleeve.
Later on, it turned out the client had possibly been poisoning him while they lived together.
Yeah… not your average tattoo story.
The client vanished and never came back to finish the sleeve.
“If you see this and you’re still out there, you look weird with an outlined sleeve and my mate wants to talk to you.”
Favourite Tattoo
Out of all the tattoos he’s done so far, one of the most meaningful was giving his sister her first tattoo.
For Taaj, tattoos are tied to the people wearing them just as much as the artwork itself.
“I love them all and the clients they’re attached to.”
Favourite product from The Tattoo Warehouse
Booking In
If you want to get tattooed by Taaj, the easiest way to book in is through his Instagram:
If Tattooing Didn’t Exist…
For some people tattooing becomes a career.
For Taaj, it’s more like the only option that ever made sense.
“I wouldn’t be doing anything else. And if there was no tattooing… I’d invent it.”
Which is probably the most tattooer answer possible.