Tag: interview with a tattoo artist

Posted on

Interview with tattoo artist Neil Chetcuti

Tattooist Neil Chetcuti works out of Skinlabel Tattoo Studio, in Malta. We chatted to the artist to find out more about his tattooing style, his love for the craft and the tattoo scene in Malta…

How long have you been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry? I’ve been a tattoo artist for six years now. My passion for art and sports started at a young age and I was mostly committed to football prior to my tattooing career. Back then I used to sketch something every day, however after suffering a knee injury that ended my football career, I had more time to focus on my art. I was posting more of my artwork online and received a lot of positive feedback, leading me to pursue a career in tattooing. I started my training in 2016 and became a professional tattoo artist in early 2017.

What inspired you to become an artist? Do you have a background in art? My passion for art stems from my family’s history of artistic talent. Growing up surrounded by my great grandfather’s paintings, I was always drawn to art and began drawing from a young age.

My interest in tattooing was sparked by watching programmes such as Miami Ink, and my appreciation for the craft grew over time.

During my rehabilitation for my knee injury, I received my first tattoo from one of the most sought after artists, Denis Sivak, who served as an inspiration for me to pursue a career in tattooing.

What drew you to black and grey realism? Have you always tattooed like this? I have always been drawn to black and grey realism because of my love for graphite and fine paper, which I used for creating most of my drawings. The contrast between black and grey creates a soothing effect which I find appealing. During my first year of tattooing, I experimented with different styles to broaden my knowledge and build my client base. Although I am interested in colour realism, I have noticed that people in my region (a warm, sunny island) tend to have tanned skin which is not ideal for colour tattoos.

What inspires your designs? I dedicate a lot of time to creating designs for my tattoos because I believe that the design plays a significant role in the overall quality of a tattoo. I am always seeking inspiration from various sources, whether it be other forms of art such as paintings and movies, or from other artists who have been an influence on my work. Each new project presents a unique opportunity to create something special while still staying true to my style.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I am currently fond of tattooing skull references but my preferences tend to change over time. I do not have a particular liking for furry references, but it may depend on the photo and the direction the project is taking.

I appreciate clients who are open to new ideas and give me the freedom to unleash my imagination and create unique, one-of-a-kind projects with original concepts, which I thoroughly enjoy doing.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future? In 2019, I introduced a new aspect to my tattoos by incorporating wording, calligraphy, and especially graffiti elements. This addition has been a game changer for me as it adds balance to the contrasts in my references and enhances the flow of my work. I am currently feeling confident in my projects and my style, but the future of my art is always unpredictable. I am constantly searching for ways to push the boundaries and create unique pieces.

Where’s been your favourite place to travel and tattoo? I’ve had the privilege of traveling to some amazing places for my work as a tattoo artist. While every place has its own unique atmosphere and charm, my favourite destination so far has been the Milano tattoo convention. It was a truly unforgettable experience to be part of such a large-scale event, surrounded by some of the best artists in the world. The convention offered a wealth of opportunities to learn and grow as an artist, and I will always be grateful for such experiences.

What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? How has your tattoo collection developed since then? My first tattoo was a statue of the archangel St. Michael, which I got in 2014. Although I don’t regret it because of its sentimental value, I have since filled up my left arm sleeve with various tattoos and come up with better ideas for the theme. My right leg sleeve, which was done by my mentor Matthew @Skinlabel, is a tribute to art and features portraits of famous artists such as Picasso, Dali, Frida Kahlo, and Caravaggio, along with recreations of their works.

Do you have any travels or guest spots planned? I’m always open to the idea of traveling for work and doing guest spots, it’s a great way to network and learn from other artists. My schedule is quite busy, but I try to fit in as many guest spots and travels as I can. Currently, I have plans to attend the Brighton tattoo convention in a few weeks. I also receive numerous guest spot requests, which are difficult to accommodate due to my busy schedule, but I do plan to visit some studios that I have been to before and maybe even explore some new ones this year.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? The tattoo scene in Malta is growing and gaining more acceptance in society. Despite the increase in popularity, there is still some hesitation from certain parts of society and in workplace policies. However, this is changing, as demonstrated by the police force’s acceptance of tattoos. The tattoo industry in Malta is competitive due to the relatively small size of the island, but this is a common occurrence in any industry. The increasing popularity of tattoos has also led to a rise in the diversity of styles and designs being seen.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing/drawing? When I’m not focused on my tattooing or designing, I like to prioritise my well-being by incorporating physical activity into my routine, such as taking walks with my dog or hitting the gym. I also enjoy exploring new food and restaurants with my girlfriend and friends, as well as taking trips to experience new cultures. I often take on new hobbies and am currently reading a book in my free time. Overall, I strive to find a balance between my work and personal life, and make the most of my time outside of the studio.

What moment in your career are you most proud of? It’s been difficult to pinpoint one specific moment as my proudest in my career, but the recognition I receive for my work is what truly makes me proud. Whether it’s at conventions where my work is acknowledged or while guest spotting, when I receive compliments and appreciation from other talented artists in the industry, it’s a fantastic feeling.

It’s not just about winning awards or prizes but knowing that others value my work and see its worth is what drives me to continually improve with each new project.

Over the years, I’ve dedicated myself to perfecting my craft, and these moments of recognition are a testament to my hard work and dedication to the art.

Follow @neil.tattoo for more incredible realisim tattoos.

Posted on

Interview with tattoo artist Swani

Tattooist Swani (@swanissober) tattoos at @mizangwon in Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to the artist about his impresive tattoo collection, one tone tattoos and where he draws his inspiration…

How long have you been a tattoo artist and how did you get into the industry? I’ve been tattooing since 2015. I studied at a french art school until 2014, then I decided to go back to Korea to learn the tattooing techniques there. I asked a studio if they could teach and they did, I started learning the skills I needed to tattoo.

The first four years were a very difficult time, but now there are customers who want my tattoos and I think I’m completely indulged in this industry.

Do you have a background in art? My background is in ceramics and patterns as well as oreintal painting. It’s important to know about my background for my art but it’s more important that I studied the basics to develop my own style and perception.

What inspires you? I’m more inspired by the colour combination of real ceramic patterns than by any painting or photograph. I also like tile art and my favorite artist is Owen Jones. In fact, I get a lot of inspiration from real life objects rather than just getting inspiration from pictures.

I often refer to oriental paintings of the past and try to get more inspiration from traditional art rather than modern art. Saying that I’m trying not to get too swept away by the typical representatives of Asian cultures, like Chinese and Japanese art, because I identity as a Korean national. 

Why did you want to become a tattooist? In my early 20s, I went to art school in France. It was during that time that I started to get interested in tattoo culture.

There are so many methods to express art. Among the many ways to express art, I was very interested in how art could be expressed on our skin. 

But, also I was very attracted to the fact that it can be alive and also perish with the person. If I get to see my own art somewhere on someone again someday then I will feel such an indescribable feeling – it’s why I started tattooing.

How would you describe your style of work? Personally I wouldn’t say that what I’m doing right now is my definite style. I’m just a tattooist who’s inspired by and uses oriental styles as my material to create my own art pieces, because they’re beautiful to me.

Being inspired by this art form got me thinking about putting blue patterns onto skin, just like those asian ceramic pieces. When I was starting to use blue ink, some of my customers were a bit afraid to get them all in blue, because it wasn’t the standard for oriental tattoos. 

Currently, I’m thinking a lot and studying how I can express this art style in my own way and I want to work on bigger pieces with larger scales. 

Has your work evolved since you started tattooing? I’ve tried so many tattoo genres, at one point I thought it was important to only do what I liked and I could design myself. So, I thought long and hard about what I liked, and when I found it, I’m able to express my identity through it. I studied ceramics at college and I want to get deeper into this area at the moment and incorporate it into my tattoos.

In terms of tattoo skills, I have been using the basic skills and techniques I’ve learnt in my career so far. However, I want to create more colour combinations and use skills that can show more of my potential and creativity.

What attracted you to creating tattoos in one colour? Actually, I don’t think tattoos are beautiful if the colour combination feels wrong. So I started using blue tones because my art is based on ceramic arts and sometimes I think one tone gives more of a clean and better look. But I want to continue to create more of my own colour combinations.

Can you tell us about the process behind your pieces? First of all, I usually work with a custom design. In some cases, customers bring me designs, but usually I change the design to fit with my own style while maintaining the original design that they requested. 

If the sessions are too long and there will be too many, I think I get tired and the customers tend to get tired too. Therefore, in the case of large pieces I try to shorten the sessions as much as possible and have them on different days.

Usually, the design is prepared before we begin the tattoo session. But, sometimes it is fun and spontaneous both for me and the customer to suddenly change it or add extra details. 

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like to tattoo things that present balance in an artistic form and I like things that are symmetrical. Sometimes clients come to me with  good ideas that I didn’t even think of before which I love.

In addition to these predetermined materials, I like to draw oriental style women. I also like to paint especially when it’s not for a tattoo design.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? This is a very sensitive subject, as there are no laws about tattoos in Korea. So, we are virtually unemployed. In fact, there aren’t many problems these days, but I am always anxious because I work without any legal protection.

I hope that Korea will legalise tattoos and appreciate the art form as soon as possible.

Do you have any guest spots or travel planned? This year I’m going to work in Paris and London for a while. I have good friends who I met while working as there and I plan to visit them regularly.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? Actually, I really like getting tattoos and I have a lot of tattoos on my body. It’s hard to mention all of them, but some of my favourite works are by @ssamu_tt_, which is a tattoo based on Buddhist tatu. I also have blackwork by my good friends @delphinmusquet, @mattchaos_tt and @jaffawane.

I have a handpoke tattoo by @git__b as well as my right arm sleeve by @brownpeanut. I got my whole back handpoked with the help of @imgonnahurtyoubaby. I’ve also got some work by @pittakkm on my arm and my neck is by @sou.ttt.

The list is too long for me to mention all the amazing artists that I have had the pleasure to get their art, but I am extremely grateful for them. I plan to get my next tattoos from @ogitattooer, @rodrigosalcedo.v, @lifo_art and@n.o.u.v.e.a.u.

It hurts a lot to get a tattoo, but I’m going to get more as a historical record.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? I got to meet so many good people at the end of last year, as I had the chance to participate in a seminar hosted by @q_tattoos. It was an opportunity to talk about tattoos and get deeper in the art form itself in front of 80 people who were also tattoo artists. I personally think it was the best way to end the year.

I was under a lot of stress and I was able to finish it with a lot of hard work. I was extremely proud of myself and our team at that moment and I hope to get more chances to share my experience with new tattoo artists in the future . 

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? Usually, when I’m not tattooing I draw and finish things I don’t always get time to do, like answering emails. Sometimes I meet my friends or girlfriend but usually I prefer to stay at home on my days off. I want to fully rest on my days off because I spend a lot of my energy working and tattooing.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I think I’ll become an artist who does art with more depth. And in five years, I think I can combine other areas of my art with tattoos. Whether I achieve my goals or not I will always be satisfied with my career and the fact that my art is loved and wanted by people all around the world. That is the ultimate goal which I have already accomplished. 

Follow Swani for more amazing tattoos and travel plans.

Posted on

Tattoos for the Future: The Order of Ink

The Order of Ink brings a new experience to tattoo artists and tattoo and art enthusiasts. An inspired collective that spans four continents with the mission of elevating the art of tattoos by creating the first Web3 platform for tattoo artists.

Taking tattoos from the physical world to the digital world.

The collection is made up of 4444 NFTs that are non-generative, hand-drawn art on the Ethereum blockchain. The Order of Ink’s genesis collection is an eclectic and art-focused collection that covers many different faces of the tattoo world.

It will serve as the access pass for everything that’s coming next in the digital tattoo world.

The Order of Ink has 14 trailblazing artists from around the world in their collection, seven of which are women. Let’s meet them…

KATUSZA @_katusza_

My main goal as an artist is to create a deep connection between my tattoo pieces and the human body.

Katusza started tattooing because she was looking for a place to express her creativity and imagination. Her biggest passion is designing tattoos, painting and creating prints.

She is a big fan of abstract painting and the work of Hilma af Klint, Kandinsky and Malewicz. Katusza founded @pregi_tattooshop_ in 2019 and has been living her dreams as a tattoo artist.

MERRY @merry_tattoo

Wearing tattoos is a way to show one’s individuality and one’s soul.

Merry is deeply attached to botanical tattoo art. At home she has a beautiful garden filled with a mix of vibrant and subtle colours and delightful smells. Her garden has always inspired her to make art. Merry also loves to travel, explore new places and learn something new every day.

I am grateful that tattooing allows me to do all of this. Seeing my clients excitement and appreciation after a session is one of the best feelings in the world.

ANINHA @aninha.tattoo

Now, here I am, moulding fine lines and minimalist designs into a piece that fits each client’s story.

At 16 Aninha thought she had permanently lost the ability to move her hands, which meant all she had ever loved would be lost to her. But after several surgeries and extensive rehab, she was able to make art and music again. Not long after that she was inspired to create tattoos by a friend who loved one of her designs.

She has always loved art and there is nothing in this world Aninha would rather do full-time than be a tattoo artist.

AMAIA @amaia.arzatattoo

One of the things that I love about my job is being able to travel to different countries, which allows me to meet new artists, learn constantly, as well as discover new cultures.

A couple years ago, Amaia was drawing non-stop, she started practicing on synthetic skin, and then little by little she started making her first tattoos on her friends. Amaia lets herself get carried away by her feelings and emotions when working on her tattoo pieces. Just like Picasso, Amaia also dabbles in cubism along with her two main styles – abstract and minimalist designs.

JOHANNA @johanna_tattoo

Tattooing is the one thing I love doing the most and can’t imagine life without it.

Because her mother is an artist, Johanna started drawing at three years old and hasn’t stopped since. Her career as a tattooist started when a tattoo artist from her city praised her drawings and offered to teach her how to make tattoos.

Her tattoo style is a mix of blackwork and white ink detailing – the darker, the better. She absolutely loves the mystical genre of witchcraft, potions, magic, fairytales and feminine vibes.

YAIZA @yaizadecastrotattoo

I like to combine realism with geometry to create compositions that adapt to the body.

The world of art and tattoos has always caught Yaiza’s attention. Yaiza started tattooing when a local tattoo artist in Asturias gave her a tattoo machine and taught her how to use it. Her designs are inspired by ancient sculptural art, and the modernist and surrealist movements. In gher style of tattooing she mixes realism, geometry and fine lines.

FLOR @cati_tattoo

I always try to pay attention to the placement and how the tattoo will interact with the body, adding a natural flow in a sexy or interesting way.

Flor’s favourite design to create and play with are flowers: she is always searching for new flower variations and styles. Flor has a floral catalog where her clients choose a flower from. This flower is then used by Flor to create custom designs for each client as she never repeats her designs.

Flor only works with women, not because she dislikes men, but since she started tattooing she made the conscious decision to be a tattoo artist with whom women can trust to make their tattoo ideas come to life.

The Order of Ink: For this world and the next

For artists:  We’re passionate about onboarding new artists to Web3 and we’ll be with you every step of the way. As you mint your first NFT, set up your wallet and get paid in ETH for the first time. 5% of primary sales from The Order of Ink’s genesis collection will be added to a fund to support our artists’ future Web3 projects — whatever artistic shape or form they take on. 

For collectors:  We’re building a community of artists and collectors who are passionate about the opportunities digital art and Web3 create for the tattoo world – we live at the intersection of where physical tattoos meet the digital space and our future directions are open to where the community wants to lead us. 

Mint Details
Mint Date: Early JAN – DATE TBA
NFT Supply: 4444
INKList Mint Price: ~0.08 ETH
Public Mint Price: ~0.123 ETH

Follow along on Twitter, Instagram, and via Website for more info about how to mint your The Order of Ink NFTs and for more deatails about the project details.

Posted on

Interview with tattoo artist Nicola Asura

Nicola Asura creates surreal blackwork tattoos at Lightbearer Tattoo in Graz, Austria. We chat to the artist to find out more about the process behind his large scale pieces, what inspires his work and future plans…

How long have you been a tattoo artist and how did you get into the industry? I’ve been tattooing for around five years now. I made my first contact with tattooing culture when I got into the post/hardcore music scene 10 years ago. Seeing all those band members covered in ink sparked my interest in tattooing as an art form.

Do you have a background in art? Coming from a very creative family, both my parents were architects, I grew up with a pen in my hand. I always enjoyed doodling on everything I could find, although I would say that there is a big difference in doodling and really mindfully learning how to actually draw.

A year into tattooing (four years ago) I made the decision to see art and drawing as a full time job. I made the move to become the artist I imagined myself to be.

Instead of just doodling mindlessly I made a plan to get better at drawing which included:

  • Choosing a specific topic (birds at that time)
  • Limiting myself to only draw that topic.
  • Learning everything about the topic through books, videos and studying how they move, their anatomy etc.
  • Drawing and sketching mindfully 6-8 hours every day, at least five days a week

Very quickly I started to see progress. Soon I wasn’t only getting better at drawing birds, but also other things, because I grasped the concept of learning how to get better at drawing. For me, this system worked.

Why did you want to become a tattooist? Before I got into tattoos my dream was to become a concept artist for Blizzard (Video Game Company) and draw orcs and other creatures for a living.

When I got into tattooing I realised that there were artists that came up with their own creature designs to decorate the body and naturally I was more drawn to that, than the video game direction.

How would you describe your style of work? Surreal creature elements cast on skin in a bioorganic way so it complements and works well with individual body shapes. Or just blackwork, for the more broader term.

How has your work evolved since you started tattooing? My style, if I can call it that, currently evolves at a very rapid pace. Back when I started out my tattoos were more stiff, stickeresque and bold.

Nowadays the priority of all my design processes is aligning the concept on skin with the body shape to create a certain flow. My work is definitely more fluid and open than a few years ago.

Can you tell us about the process behind your large scale pieces? Every client of mine, when I am not on a guestspot, has to come in for a consultation before we meet for the first tattoo session.

During that consultation the client will tell me their idea, placement and size. Then I know if I am up for the motif and idea, I can tell them how I envision the idea in my head and how that will or won’t work with their idea of placement and size. It’s a very important dialogue that has to be had in person. That way my client and myself, can speak our minds and figure out a baseline for our future project.

After making sure we are on the same page regarding the concept I’ll take pictures of the body part. Either I print out the picture, or trace it with paper from my iPad. I always start out drawing traditionally with graphite and tracing paper which I can have multiple layers of.

Once I have a concept on paper that I feel completely satisfied with I then take a picture and import it into the procreate app. This allows me to very quickly experiment with changing shapes and sizes of certain parts in the drawing.

As I, most of the time, work freehand (no stencil, drawing on skin), I don’t need to make a stencil so having this concept visualised is already more than enough for me to work with. On the day of the tattoo I’ll show my client the rough concept which I then draw on skin, layering it with multiple coloured pens.

This allows me to really work with body lines and shapes making sure I can make the most out of every project with my knowledge at that moment in time.

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? The themes that I always love to dive into are fantasy, creature design, surrealism and flora / fauna.

Usually I just take something from each theme and mush it into one design concept, it always depends on my client’s idea!

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? Currently I am located in my hometown Graz, in Austria. There are few contemporary tattoo studios, it is definitely more on the quiet side concerning tattoos compared to other cities.

Do you have any guest spots or travel planned? For now I am quite cosy in my resident studio, maybe some trips to Berlin this year!

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? I did collect a lot of tattoos from artists I admire. Anrijs Straume (UK), Stefan Halbwachs (AT) and Gara (KR) for example. Gerhard Wiesbeck (DE) and I started my bodysuit to cover/blastover lots of older tattoos, so that is still ongoing and takes a lot of time.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? The proudest and best moments are always meeting other likeminded passionate (possibly even obsessed) tattoo artists and delving into tattoo techniques, machines and ways we can shape the body together.

These talks are precious to me as I love to get lost in those topics and have long conversations where our eyes light up as we’re sharing knowledge and learning more from and about each other.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? Drawing and preparing for tattoos. Also being out in nature with my dog Aslan, bouldering (indoors/outdoors) and playing video games.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully doing bodysuits. I’d love to work on full body concepts, creating surreal creature landscapes on skin that you can see and make out from further away.

Follow @nicolaasura for more fantasty tattoos and large scale pieces.

Posted on

Interview with tattoo artist Pokhy

Tattooist Pokhy owns a private studio in Seoul, South Korea. We chatted to the tattooer about what tattooing means to her, the beautiful blue tattoos she makes and her favourite tattoo experience…

How long have you been a tattoo artist, how did you get into the industry? I’ve been a tattooist for five years now. Before I was a tattooer, I worked as a graphic designer for seven years.

I took a break from my work as continuously working overtime meant that both my work and my health were deteriorating.

During my career break, I had the chance to learn tattooing and experience tattoos for the first time. 

Why did you want to become a tattooist? I have always been deeply inspired by the art that lasts on the body forever, rathert than computer graphics or design and so, I decided to become a tattoo artist.

In an era where all media is consumed quickly, art that remains forever is very attractive.

How would you describe your style of work? I usually use thin needles to create my tattoos. The style of tattoos that I make have fine details and vibrant colours.

Most of my tattoos are of natural objects, and these days I’m working on a lot of nature inspires pieces that mainly use blue ink.

Does your heritage or where you live influence your art? My mom likes to do small amounts of gardening at home. So, my house is always full of many plants and flowers. I have a natural affinity for plants and I love to draw them.

What attracted you to colour tattoos, in particular blue in? I simply love blue.

What’s your favourite subject to tattoo and what would you like to do more of? I like tattoos that flow along the shape of the body. For example, I like free-form natural objects such as the tentacles of jellyfish and the stems of long petals.

I want to try a large tattoo that covers the entire back or wraps around the entire leg.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are? Korea has not yet recognised tattooing as a profession. It is illegal for tattoo artists to do tattoos. That’s why so many talented tattooists are working abroad.

The number of people getting tattoos is increasing, but the legal system is still in the past. I’m hoping for a gradual change. Although tattooists are not protected by law, the consciousness of the country’s citizens is gradually improving due to the popularisation of tattoos.

There are so many talented tattoo artists in Korea. The day will come when they are recognised.

Do you have any guest spots or travelling planned? I plan work in Australia next year and then work in the US.

Can you tell us about your own tattoo collection? Are you a collector and do you have any future tattoo plans? It’s a collection of my favourite things. I have tattoos of my pet, life’s motto, so many colours, favourite flowers, my religion and so on. It’s like my personal diary.

What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far? I received a letter from one of my clients, I had covered up some old scars with my artwork. She told me that her heart warms whenever she sees my tattoo and that she gains strength to continue to live in this world by looking at her beautiful tattoo rather than painful memories.

That letter was more valuable than winning any contest or any amount of money.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing? I do indoor rock climbing as a hobby. And I spend some time resting with my lovely cats.

Where do you see yourself in five years? The most famous tattooist in Korea.

We love Pokhy’s ambition, be sure to follow @pokhy_tattoo for more beautiful blue tattoos.