A Ukrainian refugee has opened a new tattoo studio in the centre of Kenilworth, above a recently refurbished barber shop.

Ink Therapy UK has set up shop above Blake Company in Smalley Place.

The studio is being run by Anna Stepaniuk, who moved to the UK from Kyiv over a year ago having been a tattoo artist for seven years.

She and partner Ethan Steadman, who works in commercial maintenance, have helped to get the space ready over the past two months.

"Anna moved here just over a year ago, we met and moved in together. That's when we started talking about opening a studio and began looking at places," Ethan explained. 

"My friend Sam owns Blake Company and he had the whole of the upstairs there free which he offered to us. 

"It's great because we live in Kenilworth so it is really nice to bring something completely new and different into the high street."

Ink Therapy UK has set up shop above Blake Company in Smalley Place (image supplied)

Anna arranged for her tattooing equipment to be brought over from Ukraine in a van at the end of last year - with it actually arriving on Christmas Day as the couple sat down to enjoy dinner.

From there they eventually decided to open their own studio and spent two months renovating the former storage space, which not only involved a complete redecoration, but also new plumbing installed for a sink to be put in upstairs.

"The room was a perfect location but it was a storage room before," Ethan added. 

"We revamped it completely and bought new furniture. 

"And we are really pleased and proud at how quickly we have managed to get this done."

Anna's tattoo equipment arrived in the UK from Kyiv on Christmas Day (image supplied)

Having opened for trading in July, the studio is now taking bookings.

And Anna explained the name Ink Therapy encapsulates the whole tattoo experience for her clients.

"It was really hard to pick a name for a studio," she said. 

"But I liked this name because when you have a tattoo it is a bit like therapy, you chat and you rest and you speak to your artists. 

"People get a lot off their chest during a tattoo."

The studio is now open for bookings (image supplied)

Examples of her work can be found on the company's Instagram page, and Anna is more than happy to help draw potential designs for customers.

And having now made Kenilworth her new home, she also thanked local residents for making her feel welcome.

"People here have been wonderful to me," she added. 

"I really like this place.

"People are so lovely, they always help each other and it is a beautiful place as well."

To find out more about Ink Therapy UK, follow this link to the Instagram page.

Anna ran a tattoo studio in Ukraine before moving to England (image supplied)