Copito, the Spanish tattoo artist giving Brighton her art for a summer
Copito announced her arrival with a Hi Brighton video after moving over from Spain to tattoo in the city for the summer. Credit: Copito
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Copito announced her arrival with a Hi Brighton video after moving over from Spain to tattoo in the city for the summer. Credit: Copito
Brighton ink
A tattoo artist from the Costa Blanca has set up in Brighton for the season, drawn here by the city's art on every corner and a plan to give her own work a place to wake back up.
She goes by Copito, and this August marks five years since she first picked up a machine at home in Spain. She is in Brighton until the end of September, taking custom bookings, and she wants to spend it making pieces that are never just another tattoo.
Meet Copito, the Spanish Tattoo Artist Inking Brighton for a Summer | Hi Brighton
The name
The artist name has her real one folded inside it. She was born Nieves, which means snow in English. A snowflake in Spanish is a copo de nieve, and from copo came Copito, a soft little diminutive she started using on social media that quietly became her working name.
"I love it because it is unique, but it still keeps my real name at its core in a way."
The road here
Copito is from Denia, a small summery town on one of the tips of the Costa Blanca in Alicante, all beaches and mountains and tourists. Brighton was not a grand plan. A local studio reached out about a guest spot, a few days tattooing in the city, and that was enough.
"I loved the idea, loved the studio, and I saw that the city was really artistic with a great tattoo culture. Anything that involves travelling and tattooing, I am all over it."
Five years in
The seventh of August marks five years of tattooing. She began the way many artists do, at home and full of excitement, tattooing a couple of friends on her desk or her bed. When she finished high school and turned eighteen, her family clubbed together to buy her a starter kit with everything she needed to begin.
"It was an incredible moment. I felt so supported and backed, and it gave me the strength to keep pushing forward. I will always be grateful to them for that."
The work
Ask her to describe her style and she talks about detail and dedication before she talks about any particular look. The care starts at the first message, understanding the why behind an idea, the story and the meaning, so the finished piece belongs to the person wearing it. She works custom, and she is proud of a Marilyn Monroe portrait she tattooed just days ago, both for the detail she caught and for the chance to ink an icon.
"I love understanding the why, so I can bring it to life and make sure it is never just another tattoo."
Why it matters
This is the part that means the most to her. For a long time she felt her art had fallen asleep under the monotony of day to day life. Brighton, with its tattoo artists and its street art on every corner, is the kind of place that pulls creativity back out of you however dormant it feels.
"You can see art around every single corner. Brighton is the kind of city that fuels your creativity, no matter how dormant it might feel."
Book her
Copito is in Brighton for the summer and heads home at the end of September to plan her next move, with the aim of carrying on travelling the world with her machine. If you want a piece from her, now is the window. She takes most bookings through Instagram, by DM or the link in her bio, where you can share your idea and request an appointment.