Sara Fabel (@sarafabel): Tattoo Muse, Art Rebel & Cultural Voice

Who is Sara Fabel?

Sara Fabel (real name Sari Katriina Virtanen) is a Finnish tattoo model, illustrator, tattoo artist, and former actress.
She’s the kind of person who looks like she walked out of a dark graphic novel — and then hits you with deep thoughts on art, media, and identity.

Born October 14, 1986, in Espoo, Finland, she now lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Early Life and Artistic Roots

Sara studied at the University of Art and Design Helsinki (now Aalto University), majoring in art education, digital media, and photography.
She also participated in an exchange program at Griffith University in Australia.

After graduation, she worked briefly as an art teacher, educating kids from grades 1 to 9 — until the classroom walls got too small for her ambitions.

Modeling, Social Media & Visual Identity

In the late 2000s, Sara began uploading her illustrations and photos to social platforms like Tumblr, Facebook, and later Instagram. She was one of the first tattooed women to build a full-scale visual brand online — on her own terms.

She quickly became a cult figure, known for her blackwork-heavy look, gothic-fetish vibes, and magnetic presence.

Tattoo Career: From Model to Master

By 2012, Sara had shifted focus and began tattooing full-time. She trained in Melbourne, Australia under Daniel Sharp, and by 2014 she relocated to Los Angeles to push her art further.

Her style is immediately recognizable:

Black & grey realism,
Intricate, clean lines,
Inspiration from medieval woodcuts, Victorian etchings, anatomy & nature,
A dark, elegant, symbolic edge.

If you’ve seen her tattoos once — you won’t forget them.

Acting Detour & Return to Roots

In 2014, Sara starred in the horror film Anarchy Parlor in a lead role. But after the project, she chose to step away from the entertainment industry and return to her true passion — art and tattooing.

Since then, she’s rarely modeled or acted, instead diving deep into illustration, custom tattoo work, and an artistic lifestyle far away from red carpets.

Why Sara Still Inspires

Sara is not just “another pretty tattooed girl.”
She is a visual manifesto — artistic, intellectual, authentic.

She proves that:

you can be soft and sharp,
you can build a career with purpose instead of noise,
you can turn your skin into a language, not just decoration.

Her Impact on Tattoo Culture

Long before “tattooed influencer” became a thing, Sara Fabel reshaped how we see women with tattoos.
She’s provocative, yes — but also philosophical, self-aware, and deeply original.

She inspires people — especially women — to ink meaning, not just motifs, and to never apologize for being dark, different, or intense.

Where to Follow Her Work

Instagram: @sarafabel
Official site & merch: sara-fabel.myshopify.com

Photos of Sara Fabel: Ink, Aura & Atmosphere

We’ve curated a gallery of Sara’s most striking photos — showcasing her tattoos, her evolving aesthetic, and the powerful presence she brings to every image.