NOINTERIM: WHERE FLESH MEETS MACHINERY
Photography by James Elliott
izzyrojo, also known as nointerim, is a tattoo artist from the United Kingdom whose intricate blackwork has quickly earned an international following. Entirely self taught, she left her career in hospitality less than three years ago to pursue tattooing full time, embracing a nomadic lifestyle that has taken her across studios around the world. Her work is defined by dense textures, biomechanical forms, and an unmistakable visual language that continues to evolve with every city she passes through.
Movement sits at the centre of her practice. New places, new people, and constant experimentation shape an artistic process that extends far beyond tattooing into clothing, accessories, makeup, and digital design. Mechanical structures, anatomy, and the haunting atmospheres of artists such as H. R. Giger all find their way into compositions that feel simultaneously organic and industrial.
For her, tattooing has never been about repeating a style or following trends. Every piece becomes an opportunity to translate someone else's identity through her own visual perspective, creating work that is immediately recognizable without ever standing still.
In this conversation, izzyrojo reflects on teaching herself to tattoo, life on the road, finding beauty in machinery, and the creative restlessness that continues to shape both her work and the world around her.
Words by Xavi Sosa
GATA: Can you tell us a little bit of yourself? Who is izzyrojo / no interim and her background? Where are you based?
izzy: To me izzyrojo is less of an alterego/persona and more just my expression of everything I’m interested in visually, it has never really felt separated from just who I am. Nointerim has a lot more depth to me as it’s my way of helping people express their personal identity through my personal vision which is still so insanely cool to see. I’m originally from the UK although I’m constantly moving around, I think this movement has become a big part of my creative identity over time.
GATA: How did you enter into the tattoo world? How long have you been doing this?
izzy: I entered the tattoo world around two and a half years ago, mostly just teaching myself in my living room with YouTube and the help of my tattoo friends around me. It was never a calculated career path, more like something that completely took over my life once I started. Around a year and a half ago I left my full-time job in the kitchen and started travelling constantly, looking to live a nomadic lifestyle and meet as many people as I could.
GATA: Where do you find your main inspiration?
izzy:I think I naturally am inspired by everywhere that I go, especially the people around me. A lot of my friends are artists in so many different ways, so there’s a constant flow of ideas without me even realising it, it inspires me to constantly switch up my styles and experiment with all aspects of my life.
GATA: How would you define your style?
izzy: I always find it hard to answer this question, I don’t feel like my style really fits into one category. There are definitely similarities between my personal style and my tattoo work because they come from the same perspective, but they carry different vibes completely in my opinion, although it might not seem like this to other people. My personal style is a lot more built around irony, specific random themes or visual contradictions, but with tattooing I try to keep a more focused vibe so my work feels recognisable and cohesive, I hope my art style has its own name for some people.
GATA: When I see your work, I can't avoid thinking about H.R. Giger… Is he and his work an inspiration to you?
izzy: Absolutely!! H. R. Giger’s work completely changed the way I viewed texture and atmosphere visually. I'm obsessed with the biomechanical mix of organic and industrial forms. I think that obsession for sure naturally leads to my own use of mechanics, engines, tubing and darker textures within tattooing.
GATA: Engines and machinery seem like a present motif in your work. What is about machinery and engines that inspire you?
izzy: I’ve actually never been particularly obsessed with cars or vehicles themselves. I’m not really a car or motorbike person at all, I love a car show or car meet up for the vibe but that’s the extent of it. What interests me is purely the visual side of machinery like the density of it, the way everything intertwines, the repetition of tubes, bolts and circular forms, the textures of different metals and engineered parts. I find engines strangely organic visually, almost like anatomy, another prominent source of inspiration for me.
GATA: Do you have hobbies and aspirations outside of tattooing?
izzy: I definitely have a lot of creative interests outside tattooing. I’m constantly starting new projects and experimenting with different forms of expression like clothing, 3D modelling, accessories, nails, makeup, literally anything visual. I always become obsessed with ideas very quickly, throwing all my money and time into them and then moving onto the next thing hahaha. Tattooing actually started the same way, just as one of many creative outlets, but it ended up becoming the one that stayed with me the most deeply, and the best decision of my life so far.
GATA: What are future plans for you?
izzy: I honestly struggle to think too far ahead. Most of my life right now is built around movement and instinct, and I think constantly changing environments keeps me creatively alive. This lifestyle suits me really well at the moment, so I want to continue living this way for as long as it feels meaningful. Eventually though I imagine the opposite kind of life. Somewhere very quiet and rural with a large space to create, a good music setup, cats, and enough stability to spend time building things more slowly and have my own self-sustained world surrounded by art.
GATA: In Gata Magazine, we love cinema. What's your favourite movie / movie director and which movie do you recommend to our audience?
izzy: Strangely, I’m actually not hugely knowledgeable in movies or directors, I honestly don’t watch as many films as I probably should. Whenever someone shows me something they love, I always think ‘fuck, I need to get into cinema more,’ but I never really slow down enough to do it properly. That being said though, Princess Mononoke is easily my favourite film ever. I think the landscapes, atmosphere and character design are unbelievably beautiful, and the world feels completely alive. It’s one of the only films that’s stayed with me visually for years. It’s actually the only tattoo I have with a meaning outside of pure aesthetics — I have San’s dagger tattooed on my arm. For sure I’d say Hayao Miyazaki's my favourite director, I know it’s a common answer, but I genuinely think the worlds he creates are insane and can’t be spoken about enough.
GATA: Thank You, Izzy!
izzy: Thank you so much! It was a pleasure to meet you guys. Hopefully we run into each other again somewhere else in the world soon :)
