Ink rooted in Kerala, made to last on skin.
Eight directions cover most of what clients ask for. Read through them, notice which one matches your idea, and mention it when you get in touch. A single piece can also mix directions, for example a realistic portrait inside an ornamental frame.
Portraits, animals and detailed scenes built from shading alone, with no colour to hide behind. This is the studio's most demanding direction, and its most rewarding one: a face that looks alive, a panther that looks ready to move, a figure that holds its expression for decades. Shading is layered slowly so the piece keeps its depth as it settles into skin.
Light, precise work for ideas that deserve a quiet voice. Delicate linework, small script, minimal compositions and gentle floral forms suit wrists, forearms, collarbones and ankles. Fine line pieces age best when the design is kept clean and uncluttered, and the studio will tell you honestly when an idea needs bolder lines to last.
Mandalas, repeating patterns, sacred geometry and ornamental frames that follow the shape of the body. These pieces are planned like architecture: balanced, symmetrical where symmetry matters, and broken deliberately where a break makes the design stronger. A mandala sleeve or a geometric band can stand alone or frame a portrait inside it.
Bold colour for pieces that need to be seen: cultural faces, festival colour, rich reds and warm golds against deep black. Colour work from this studio leans on Kerala's own palette, the oranges and reds of Theyyam, the gold of temple craft, the green of the land, so the colour feels rooted rather than borrowed.
Ear piercing at the studio, done with the same care as a tattoo sitting: clean setup, calm handling, and clear aftercare guidance so the piercing settles well. If you are planning a piercing alongside a tattoo, mention it when you book so both can be planned in one visit.
No stencil, no printout. The design is drawn straight onto your skin and shaped around the muscle and bone underneath, so it sits on your body in a way a fixed stencil never could. Best for flowing, organic ideas, and for clients who want a piece nobody else can ever have.
Faces that stay recognisable, whether a loved one, a god, or a pet. Portraits are built from your reference photos and layered shading, so the likeness holds up close and from across the room. Bring clear photos, and the studio will tell you honestly what size the piece needs to be to keep its detail.
Full sleeves, back pieces and large compositions, planned across sittings. Big work is mapped as one design first, then built session by session, with healing time respected between sittings, so the finished piece reads as a single design and not a collection of parts.
Anandu PK is a professional tattoo artist and the founder of Chaayam Tattoo, with 8 years of tattoo experience and a B.Sc in Animation. His work covers realism, black and grey, traditional designs, ornamental geometry, and Theyyam and Kathakali inspired cultural work. Alongside tattooing, he has spent 10 years as a graphic designer, since starting his degree in 2016, which shows in his compositions: balanced, planned and clean, even when the subject is wild.
His approach is simple to state and hard to practise: do not limit the work to one style. Understand different forms of tattoo art, and use the right language for every individual idea. A portrait needs patience. A geometric piece needs precision. A cultural face needs fire. The artist's job is to know which one your idea needs, and to bring it honestly.
“I don't want to be limited to one style. I want to understand different forms of tattoo art and use the right language for every individual idea.”
ANANDU PK, FOUNDER, CHAAYAM TATTOOFirst Prize, Best Collaboration Tattoo, InkDian International Tattoo Convention, Goa, January 2025.
She keeps the studio running day to day — bookings, clients, and the small details that make a visit easy.
She is also the studio's piercing artist. If you are here for a piercing, she will talk you through the placement and the jewellery, and set you up with aftercare so it heals clean.
A tattoo artist with 3 years of experience, doing awesome work in our studio. She has been with us for the past one year.
She takes every idea seriously, from a first small tattoo to a piece you have been planning for months, and works it into a design that suits the placement and holds up on skin.
This section belongs entirely to the work. One piece at a time, large, with room to look. Let it play on its own, or tap through it yourself with the arrows and dots. All nine pieces below are previous work from Chaayam Tattoo.
Seen something close to your idea? Send a screenshot of it on WhatsApp and tell the studio what you would change. That is often the fastest way to start a design.
Getting a tattoo here follows a simple path. Nothing is rushed, and nothing is inked before you are happy with the plan.
Message on WhatsApp or call the studio. Describe the idea in your own words, send a reference photo if you have one, and say where on the body you are thinking of placing it. Even a rough idea is enough to start.
The artist works the idea into a design that fits your skin and your story: size, placement, style, line weight and shading. You talk it through before anything is final, and changes at this stage are part of the process, not a problem.
On the day, the design is placed and checked with you first, then the work begins at a steady pace with breaks when you need them. Larger pieces are planned across sittings so the work stays clean and you stay comfortable.
You leave with clear aftercare guidance from your artist, and you can ask questions on WhatsApp while the piece heals. Good aftercare is what keeps a strong piece strong for years, so follow the guidance closely and check in if anything worries you.
A fresh tattoo needs gentle care while it heals, and the first few days matter most. Keep it clean, keep it lightly moisturised, and give it time to settle.
Wash gently with clean water, pat dry, and apply only a thin layer of the ointment your artist recommends. Do not scratch or pick at scabs, and stay out of pools, the sea, and harsh sun until the skin has fully healed. If anything looks off or worries you, message the studio on WhatsApp and ask.
Three courses, three starting points — pick the one that matches where you are.
Start from the very beginning — drawing and design basics, getting comfortable with the machine, and learning safety and hygiene, all under guidance before moving on to real skin.
For artists who already tattoo and want to go further — realistic shading, colour work, and large pieces, with guidance on the complex designs clients actually ask for.
Placement, jewellery, sterilisation, and aftercare — learning piercing the safe way, with supervised practice before working on clients.
218 reviews on Google
I did my tattoo from here and I’m genuinely so happy with the result. A special thanks to Anandhu bro for the amazing work. He did even better than I expected, and I absolutely loved how it turned out. The whole experience was comfortable, professional, and trustworthy.…
Services: Tattoo cover-ups & reworkings
Got my tattoo done here. The tattoo was ended up really good and the service is really good as well.
Had my first ever tattoo done at Chaayam Tattoo Studio under the artist Anandu… I was initially very confused on how to transfer the raw concepts I had in my mind on to a canvas, but Anandu had all the patience and craftsmanship to hear me out…
I had a greattt experience @chayamtattoo getting my first one.
I got second belly piercing on here
I couldn’t be happier with my tattoo experience! The level of detail, shading, and flow throughout my sleeve is incredible. Each element blends seamlessly into the next, creating a powerful and cohesive design that looks amazing from every angle.…
Best studio and good atmosphere
Services: Tattoo cover-ups & reworkings
Yes. Bring a photo, a drawing, a line of writing or just a description. The studio builds custom designs from your idea, and a reference helps the artist understand the direction faster. The final design will still be drawn for you, not copied from someone else's tattoo.
Message on WhatsApp or call +91 79077 85190. Tell the studio your idea, the placement you have in mind and a rough size, and you can plan the design and the sitting from there.
It depends on size, detail and style. A small fine line piece can be quick, while a large realistic or ornamental piece needs longer and may be planned across more than one sitting. Your artist will give you a realistic picture once the design is planned.
Everyone feels it differently, and placement matters: some areas are far more sensitive than others. Most clients describe it as manageable, and the artist works at a steady pace with breaks when you need them. Talk openly about comfort on the day.
Sometimes, and it depends on the old piece: its size, darkness and placement all matter. Share a clear photo of the existing tattoo on WhatsApp and the artist will tell you honestly what is possible and what is not.
Custom pieces drawn around one person's story, a real range of styles from realism to Theyyam-inspired work, and patient craft that gives every piece the time it needs.
Infopark Road, Kakkanad,
Ernakulam, Kerala 682030
Phone: +91 79077 85190
Instagram: @chaayamtattoo
| Monday | 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM |
| Thursday | 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM |
| Friday | 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM |
| Sunday | 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM |
