ABOUT OPENMIND
I create story-driven fantasy tattoos shaped around the body, drawing from mythology, imagined worlds and original worldbuilding.
Based at Mystic Workshop in Bournemouth, I work with clients from across the UK on everything from standalone pieces to large-scale sleeves, legs and backpieces.
I'm Shaun Horlock, though you probably know me as Openmind.
I’ve been tattooing for over twelve years and a passion for fantasy worlds came long before that.
Openmind became an alias I could fully explore my passions through. Over time, my work has become increasingly focused on large-scale fantasy from a world I've been building for the past five years called Gyranth.
I work from Mystic Workshop, the studio I run in Bournemouth. I work with my best buds Dan and Jack in a beautiful part of town.
The approach
My work is built around strong silhouettes, a dramatic sense of contrast and controlled areas of colour.
I use whip shading, solid blacks and selective neon or high-saturation accents to create depth without losing readability. The goal is for a piece to feel dramatic up close, but still read clearly from across the room.
Every design is shaped around the anatomy it sits on. Flow, negative space and movement are considered from the beginning rather than added afterwards.
Worldbuilding
Gyranth is the original fantasy world I’ve been developing alongside my tattoo work.
Its creatures, cultures, relics and opposing energies increasingly feed back into the designs I create. Some clients choose to step directly into that world; others simply borrow from its visual language, atmosphere or mythology.
It gives Openmind something deeper to draw from than a collection of disconnected tattoo ideas.
Every project starts with the person, placement and idea in front of me. I don’t copy other artists’ work or reproduce existing designs.
The shape of the body is part of the composition. Flow, movement and readability matter as much as the subject itself.
You don’t need to arrive with the finished answer. Bring the idea, references or feeling behind the piece and I’ll help shape it into something that works.
You don’t need a finished design. Bring the idea, the placement and the starting point — we can build the rest from there.
