'Ink me up': Iran tattoo artists aim to leave mark

The 34-year-old opened the studio only eight months ago, aspiring to share the art of tattooing that over the years has largely thrived underground in the Islamic republic. "All tattoo artists in Iran usually work at home," Sean, using his artistic nickname, told AFP in his studio. "We risked a lot this year by opening this place and turning it into an academy." While Iran has not explicitly banned tattooing, conservatives still view the practice as linked with immorality, delinquency and Westernisation.