Book now

Ulises Malavé — American Traditional Tattoo Artist in Panama City · Pangea Ink, Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo) & Vía Argentina

★ Verified@ulises.tattooer · 19.6KPanama City
Color traditional cat head tattoo by Ulises Malavé
Ulises Malavé

American Traditional. Bold lines, solid color — built to last. An international reference of the old school, awarded since 2017.

Walk-ins welcome · Every day · Casco Antiguo
🏆 Expo Tattoo Panamá 2017 🏆 Ink Fest 2017 · Old School 🏆 Cali 2022 · 2nd Old School 🏆 Tattoo Panamá · 2nd Traditional ⚖ Judge · Afrik 2025 🖋 Sponsored by Kuro Sumi Ink
0
Followers
0
Pieces published
0
Convention trophies
2017
Winning since
The style

Bold lines or nothing

The line rules

A bold line ages well. What's solid today is still a tattoo in twenty years — not a blur.

Color that stays

Classic palette: deep black, red, gold, green. Few colors, packed in solid.

True classics

Eagles, snakes, roses, daggers. The repertoire this craft was built on, done right.

Portfolio

Recent work

Dagger through rose with dice and bat, American traditional tattoo by Ulises Malavé
Dagger & rose · the classic
Crying heart with coffin nails and flames, color traditional tattoo by Ulises Malavé
Crying heart · packed solid
Black wolf head with tongue and flames, American traditional tattoo by Ulises Malavé
Black wolf · fresh off the needle
Full torso American traditional bodysuit with snake, lady head and butterfly by Ulises Malavé
Bodysuit · years in the making
Panther head full back piece, American traditional tattoo by Ulises Malavé
Panther · full back
Full sleeve with lady head, eagle and spiderwebs, American traditional by Ulises Malavé
Sleeve · classic language
Cat head with ornamental eyes, color traditional tattoo on shin by Ulises Malavé
Cat head · color that stays
Back piece with rooster and roses, American traditional tattoo by Ulises Malavé
Back piece · rooster & roses
Both legs covered in color American traditional tattoos, large scale work by Ulises Malavé
Large scale · any canvas

His work only — no stock. 1,117 more pieces on Instagram →

The artist

Ulises Malavé

Ulises Malavé's full back piece — the hand-drawn design and the tattoo in progress, side by side
Pangea Ink · resident artist
Ulises in the studio chair

An international reference in American traditional tattooing — awarded in Panama and Colombia, invited to judge at conventions, trusted for full-scale work: sleeves, back pieces, bodysuits.

His language is the classic one — eagles, panthers, roses, daggers, ships — drawn with the heavy outline and solid black that made this style survive a century on skin. Sponsored by Kuro Sumi Ink. He is also a painter (@pinturadelcaribe): the same hand that draws the flash works the canvas.

Follow @ulises.tattooer ↗
Ulises Malavé drawing flash designs by hand with a marker
Every piece starts on paper
The craft

Drawn by hand

No shortcuts: flash and custom pieces are drawn by hand before the needle ever touches skin — the discipline behind clean, confident linework. His painted flash sheets hang in the studio; pick one and it's yours.

Hand-painted American traditional flash sheet signed Ulises
Painted flash · signed Ulises
Close-up of Ulises tattooing, machine in gloved hands
At work · steady hand
Ulises Malavé tattooing a client at the Pangea Ink studio in Casco Viejo, Panama City
Inside the studio
Pangea Ink · Casco Antiguo · every day 8 AM – 9 PM
Awards & honors

Wall of proof

Trophy shelf with the Panama City Ink Fest 2017 Old School plaque and carved stone award
The shelf — plaques & trophies
Bronze trophy busts from Panama tattoo conventions
Panama City Ink Fest 2017 Old School trophy, close up
Afrik Tattoo Convention 2025 plaque thanking Ulises Malavé for judging the first edition
2017

Expo Tattoo Panamá

Convention award, Panama City.

2017

Ink Fest · Old School

Best old school, Panama City Ink Fest.

2022

Cali Tattoo Festival

2nd place Old School — Colombia.

Tattoo Panamá

2nd place Traditional.

2025

Judge · Afrik

Jury of the first edition — mastery recognized.

The gallery

He paints, too

The same hand works the canvas: tigers, panthers and classic flash on canvas and skate decks, signed ULISES. On show — and for sale — at Pangea's art gallery in Casco Antiguo. See the paintings → @pinturadelcaribe

Real client reviews

Word travels

A client laughs mid-session while Ulises Malavé tattoos her at Pangea Ink
Mid-session · Casco Antiguo
What an amazing experience for my first tattoo! We spoke to Ulises about our visions the prior day and showed him some of our ideas and he took them and created something that came out better than we could have hoped!
★★★★★
First-tattoo client · Pangea Ink
Walked in without an appointment — Ulises finished two swallow tattoos in less than 50 minutes. Highly recommended.
★★★★★
Walk-in client · Google review

5.0 ★ rating · 485+ happy clients

Book with Ulises

Got a date in mind? Book it now. Still exploring? Come meet the studio — the vibe and the artists say more than any photo. English & Spanish spoken. Walk-ins welcome every day — flash is always ready.

1 · ConsultTell him the piece — even the day before. References welcome, not required.
2 · DesignHe shapes it with you at the drawing table, the old way.
3 · SessionPangea Ink Casco Antiguo — price agreed before the needle starts, no surprises.
4 · ForeverAftercare guide in hand, and we're one WhatsApp away.
Ulises tattoos at Pangea Ink Casco Antiguo · Casa Lafevre, Calle San Pablo · 8 AM – 9 PM · Every day
ulises.booking18@gmail.com
Questions

Before you ask

Do you take walk-ins?

Yes — subject to availability. Ulises keeps flash and small tattoos ready to go. Message us on WhatsApp or book via Calendly to lock a same-day spot.

How much does a traditional tattoo cost?

It depends on size, detail and placement. At the consult Ulises gives you a fixed price before starting; the deposit counts toward the total.

Does he do large-scale work?

Yes — sleeves, back pieces and full bodysuits are his favorite canvas. Large projects are planned across sessions with a dedicated large-scale booking.

¿Hablan español?

Claro — atendemos en español e inglés. Ulises es un referente internacional del tradicional americano y tatúa en la sede de Casco Antiguo.

Why traditional instead of fine line?

Because it ages well. Bold lines and solid black keep a tattoo readable for decades, while very fine work tends to blur over time. It's the style tattooing was built on.

WhatsApp ✦ Book