EKKSTACY started getting tattoos at 17, beginning with his face. The Canadian singer-songwriter’s ink now covers his face, arms, chest, back, neck and hands. Some marks are easy to read; others sit in layered blackwork or appear only briefly in live photos.
The collection doesn’t read as a matching set; its pieces came together over time, including tours, trips through Europe and sessions he chose in the moment.
The best-documented pieces are the cheek pentagram, the Russian word for love across his chest, the German AUSGANG on his hand, Forever and a large unfinished Jesus design on his back, and a star on his neck. Smaller marks can be hard to identify in stage photos, so the details below stick to what he and named publications have reported.
The face tattoos and cheek pentagram
In a Rock Sound interview, EKKSTACY said his first tattoos were done on the same day when he was 17, and that they were on his face. It was an unusually visible place to start.
Rolling Stone Australia highlighted the pentagram on his cheek. Close portraits show it among smaller symbols and lettering, part of a patchwork of heavy shapes and fine lines rather than a single isolated design.
He hasn’t given a confirmed public meaning for the pentagram. Its shape and placement are clear; anything beyond that would be a guess. The uneven sizes and spacing also keep the face tattoos from looking mirrored or planned as one set.
A cheek tattoo draws attention because it sits where people look while you speak. If you’re considering one, scale and placement deserve careful thought; a small mark can change the whole face.
The Russian LOVE tattoo across his chest
In an AltPress interview, EKKSTACY said the Russian word for “love” across his chest was inspired by a girl, though they were never together. He said romantic love was what he craved most and that he put the word on his body to attract it.
The large Cyrillic lettering runs across his upper chest. Its broad strokes stand out against the denser blackwork around it, so a vulnerable word sits beside darker, rougher designs without making the collection feel polished or soft.
A quick personal detail
EKKSTACY has described tattooing as a physical diary. The chest piece is one entry he has explained in public: the word is easy to read, but its backstory belongs to him. If you’re considering text, choose something you’ll still want after the feeling that inspired it has changed; check the language and lettering before settling on size and placement.
The back work, Forever, and the unfinished Jesus design
Rock Sound reported that EKKSTACY got Forever on his back after his first face tattoos. He also described a large Jesus design that was unfinished at the time and said he planned to add a cross. He liked having his back tattoos visible on the cover of his Forever album.
The back gives a large design room across the shoulders and down the spine, but its curve changes how the work reads as the body moves. EKKSTACY’s unfinished piece was discussed as a work in progress, not a final image.
Tour photos show how quickly the collection changes
Most available photos show EKKSTACY on tour, not posed for a tattoo shoot. Movement, shadows and stage lighting can obscure a design. A photo may show that ink is there without making every line or smaller mark legible.
For marks on his fingers, arms or neck that aren’t named in an interview or clear image, it’s better to describe only what can be seen. The cheek pentagram, chest lettering, back work and neck star have firmer support from published interviews and reports.
The hand tattoo that says AUSGANG
PAPER reported AUSGANG, the German word for “exit,” tattooed on EKKSTACY’s hand. It is a short, graphic word, alongside the Russian lettering on his chest among the collection’s language-based pieces.
Hand tattoos move and rub against things through the day. Short, sturdy lettering may be easier to read there than fine script, but can fade with sun, washing and friction.
A little room matters here
For a hand tattoo, check a translation with a fluent speaker and look at how the letters sit across the knuckles or back of the hand. Leave enough space for the lines to age, and ask the artist what touch-ups might be needed.
Where everyday movement shows up
The artist should check the stencil while the hand bends and account for rings and nearby tattoos. A word across the top of the hand reads differently from lettering on fingers or knuckles.
The star on his neck and the smaller pieces around it
Rock Sound also noted a star on EKKSTACY’s neck. It is a simple shape beside heavier work, though the publication did not assign it a meaning. Close views show smaller symbols nearby, but not all have been identified.
The neck curves as the body turns, and the tattoo is difficult to cover. A star stays recognizable on that surface, but the placement is still a visible commitment.
Why the whole collection feels coherent
The collection can look scattered: letters, symbols and large black areas were added at different times. Mostly black ink and direct shapes give the patchwork a consistent visual feel, even when the pieces don’t form one planned composition.
EKKSTACY’s music moves among post-punk, alternative pop and darker internet-born styles; the tattoos have a similar refusal to sit in one category. For design inspiration, the contrast between small symbols and larger areas of coverage is more useful than copying the density.
The useful part of the style
Face, neck and hand tattoos are hard to hide and affect how people read you at work and in everyday conversations. EKKSTACY’s bold placements fit the public style he has chosen, but the same choices won’t suit everyone.
For your own collection, keep words legible and leave space for a piece to sit beside future work. A tattoo can mark a particular time or simply be something you like looking at; it doesn’t need a grand explanation.