Kelly Costlow

The Artist
Behind the Needle

Kelly Costlow is a formally trained fine artist turned tattooer, based in Southeast Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Lamar University in 2015 and went on to exhibit sculpture at prestigious venues including the Art Museum of Southeast Texas and Houston's Redbud Gallery.

Before needles, Kelly worked in clay. Her ceramic figures explored the harmony between humankind and nature. That same instinct for meaning, form, and feeling now lives in every tattoo she creates.

After years of teaching high school art Kelly made the leap into tattooing. Today she works out of Iron Gate Studios in the historic Kyle Building in downtown Beaumont — a fitting home for an artist who has always let meaning lead the work.