§ About me
I'm Leo
Martínez.
Born in Buenos Aires. Granollerense by choice. Tattooing since 2003.
I came to the needles almost by accident —or by inheritance, depending on how you look at it. When I moved to Catalonia in 2003, I knew right away this wasn't going to be just another job. Twenty-three years on, I haven't let go of the machine.
I founded A Sailor's Grave Tattoo Barcelona in Granollers: a private studio I share with artists who feed me with their wisdom and other styles, in an environment respectful of tattooing — good treatment and made-to-measure design as our flag. Being private also lets us give clients greater intimacy. And despite having my own studio, I still collaborate with renowned studios where you'll have found me for many years.
There are 136 years between these two images. And the same craft.
§ How I work
I design each piece on your body.
No stencils.
Before touching the machine, I ask for the area. I touch it with my finger. I note how the anatomy moves when you breathe. Then I draw, freehand, directly on the skin.
We work the symbolism together. If you want a Polynesian piece, we first talk about what you want it to say: a birth, a journey, a loss, a sense of belonging. Then I look for the symbols that say that —not the most striking ones, the ones that fit.
I listen to the body before the client. And I care more about the piece making sense than about it being spectacular.
«I'm not in a rush. This is a craft.»
Tattoo Love interview · April 2026
§ What I don't do
There are pieces
I don't touch.
01 ——
I don't copy designs from Pinterest or Google. If you bring references, I use them to understand the spirit, not to replicate. Every piece is new.
02 ——
I don't tattoo full facial Tā moko on non-Māori people. It's a ceremonial and genealogical piece of the Māori people. I respect it from the craft.
03 ——
I don't do full traditional Samoan Pe'a without the corresponding ceremony. The Pe'a is made with a tufuga ta tatau over several days.
04 ——
I don't sell rush. If you come with a half-baked idea, I'll tell you. Better that you go home, think about it, and come back when it's ready.