Polynesian tribal · Māori · Samoan
Koru Tatau Tattoo artist specialising in Māori and tribal
The artist
I'm Leonel Martínez. I tattoo Polynesian tribal, Māori and Samoan, and I usually fuse them with respect: faithful to tradition, adapted to today's times and techniques.
I founded A Sailor's Grave Tattoo Barcelona, my private studio in Granollers. I share the room with artists whose craft feeds mine; good treatment and made-to-measure design are our flag, and being private lets us look after each client's privacy.
I've been tattooing in Spain since 2003 and I still work with renowned studios, as I have for many years.
§ 01 · The work
Custom projects.
Every piece here was made to the client's taste; other times the design was left entirely to my judgement. Either way, they are always exclusive designs.
Filter by
body area
Showing 20 of 168 pieces
Every piece is born on the client's skin. The full archive lets you go through all of them at size.
See the full archive→§ 02 · The method
Freehand work.
I study the shapes of the body and draw freehand. I fit the lines to the muscles, following them organically, so that time and physical change don't wear the piece down.
No repeated stencils: every piece is born on your skin, for your anatomy and your story. And if I do use a stencil, it's based on something I drew beforehand from your measurements, to speed up my work.
Chest · green marker
Chest and shoulder drawn in marker
Chest · green and yellow marker
Chest with a honu, traced on the body
Hand · red marker
Hand and fingers, line by line
Shoulder · red and orange marker
Shoulder and arm, shaped to the muscle
Process · over the drawing marker
The needle goes in over the drawing itself
Armband · blue and purple marker
Forearm band, closed to measure
Shoulder · red marker
Shoulder with a tiki over older work
Leg · green marker
Leg, following the line of the shin
Your piece starts the same way: marker on your skin.
Book a consultation →Swipe → · 8 real sessions, freehand
I study your anatomy to work out how to bring your idea to life!
01 ——
Read the body
Before drawing anything, I watch how the area moves: where the muscle is, where the bone is, and which way the shapes fall when the body changes position.
02 ——
Draw on the skin
I trace the piece straight onto you, in marker and in colour, to separate the planes. You can see it, move with it and tell me what to change before any of it is permanent.
03 ——
Tattoo over the drawing
The needle goes in over my own line. That's why the piece follows the body organically and holds up well over the years.
§ 03 · Ready to book
Available designs.
I draw these when an idea is going round my head and doesn't yet have an owner. If one speaks to you, I adapt it to your anatomy in the consultation and we book it. It isn't repeated: once someone takes it, it comes off the list.
There are 30 designs available right now. They're refreshed every month.
See them all→§ 04 · The craft
This is a craft.
There are no shortcuts to doing this well. These are the milestones I remember; plenty of clients and plenty of hours in the chair are missing.
«I'm not in a rush. This is a craft.»
Tattoo Love interview · April 2026
- Years tattooing
- 25Years tattooing
- In Barcelona since
- 2003In Barcelona since
- Founded A Sailor's Grave
- 2017Founded A Sailor's Grave
- Polynesian styles
- 3Polynesian styles
2003
Buenos Aires → Barcelona
Crossing the Atlantic
I leave my native Buenos Aires in 2003, already two or three years into tattooing, and settle in Barcelona. This is where I build my career as a tattoo artist, learning from many artists around me who gave me a great deal, generously. I start out tattooing everything, but with a strong connection to old school, which I still develop to this day. Over time I cross paths with Māori and Polynesian style, and it captivates me. From 2008 I start studying it, buying books and immersing myself in the culture.
2003 — today
Spain · Romania · Germany · Norway
Conventions
I visited many international conventions as a spectator, until in 2005 I took part in Castellón for the first time. From then on I did many over the years in Spain: Valencia, Castellón, Zaragoza, Seville, Málaga… and some abroad, like Bucharest (Romania), Berlin (Germany) or Bergen (Norway). These days I do one or two a year, as a way to keep meeting friends and discovering good artists.
2008
Barcelona · Castellón · Netherlands
On the road again
A hard year worldwide: the crisis hits much of the world and pushes me into certain decisions, like leaving a studio I'd belonged to for many years and travelling again. I worked three days a week in Barcelona and two in Castellón, until I had the chance to settle for a short time in the Netherlands. The great experience! There I shared a shop with Bonel, a great tattoo artist and an even better person. He gave me a lot and pushed me to develop this style, seeing it came easily to me: I'd done plenty of it by then, but I wasn't studying it as I should. Years of deep study follow, of the body's lines and of how to set down, harmoniously, all the ideas going round my head.
2017
Agustí Vinyamata, 1-3 · Granollers
Founding A Sailor's Grave Tattoo Barcelona
After years of travelling for work, mostly around Italy and Spain, I decide to open my own studio, a private one, where I can give clients better attention on large projects. I started alone, and little by little talented friends have joined to collaborate and add to this experience, which means doing things properly, with artistic and ethical judgement.
2017 — today
Catalonia · Spain
Still going out to work
Even with my own studio, I've kept working with renowned studios for many years. Crossing paths with other artists and other styles stops me getting comfortable.
2026
Tattoo Love
Interview with David Llatje
We talked about the craft, about trends, and about why old school has no expiry date. The conversation drifted, as it almost always does, towards Polynesian.
My old school and traditional work lives somewhere else: @leo13tattooer. Here, at Koru Tatau, there is only Polynesian.
Keep reading →
§ 05 · The process
Every piece, a project.
I don't work with fixed rates: every tattoo differs in size, area and hours. I quote it individually in the consultation, once I properly understand the piece.
Written quote before we start. No surprises.
Step 01
Consultation
Studio or video call · free
Write to me and we arrange a visit to the studio, or a video call if that's easier. You tell me your idea, we talk symbolism and dimensions, and from there I can put together a made-to-measure quote.
Step 02
Design
Freehand · made to measure
I usually work by drawing the piece straight onto the skin, adapting the general lines of the design to your anatomy. I never copy anyone else's work: the designs are always exclusive.
See how I work freehand ↑Step 03
Session
8 h or 4 h sessions · 21–28 days apart
I usually work full-day sessions (around 8h), stopping for a while to eat something or rehydrate. On large projects it's the efficient way to make progress, but since that doesn't always match a client's tolerance, I also do 4h sessions. As a rule we leave 21 to 28 days between sessions, so your metabolism recovers and healing gets a fair amount of time.
Tell me your idea and I'll put together a personalised quote, with no commitment.
Ask for a quote→§ 06 · Where I work
A Sailor's Grave Barcelona.
A private studio I founded in 2017, where other artists and friends collaborate, each with their own style. We only work by appointment, for consultations as well as tattoos: that way we guarantee privacy and exclusivity for every client.
- Address
- Agustí Vinyamata 1-3, 5º 2ª08402 Granollers · Barcelona
- Opening hours
- Monday to Saturday · 11:00 — 20:00By appointment only
- Contact
- +34 610 678 100leo13tattoo@hotmail.es
- Certification
- InkTrust · estudio acreditado
§ 07 · Trust
Studio accredited by InkTrust Quality Seal, which verifies every review by hand
I'd rather you read the opinions where I'm not the one in control of them.
The studio is accredited by InkTrust, the Spanish platform that manually verifies every tattoo studio review. A Sailor's Grave's reviews live there and on Google — unfiltered and untouched.
§ 08 · Let's talk
Shall we
talk about
your piece?
I reply personally, no filters. Usually within 24-48 working hours.
The more information you give me, the better.
- 01 —
Body area
Sleeve, chest, back, leg, hand, neck...
- 02 —
Approximate size
A photo with your hand over the area helps a lot.
- 03 —
Style that resonates
Polynesian tribal, Māori, Samoan or a mix.
- 04 —
What you want it to say
A journey, a sense of belonging, a loss, a joy.