Where were you born
and where are you from?
I am from Slovakia and I was also
was born here.
How did you get
introduced to the tattoo culture, when did you get started?
I’ve always liked any
kind of art since I was kid. I drew a lot, I started doing graffiti later on as
well. When I was around 13 years old, I used to cut out pictures from magazines
and my brother would draw them on me with markers, so that I looked like the
tattooed models from the advertisements.
Just after I finished
my studies my friend offered me a job in her new shop. I had no idea how to
tattoo, I first tried it on my friends and after the first one that I did I was
hooked!
I decided that
tattooing was going to be my job pretty much that day. That’s all I wanted to
do.
Tattooing really came
to me. I never thought that I would ever be doing anything like that in my
life. It was “love at first sight”
and I love it more every day. I am very grateful!
Do you remember the
first tattoo that you did?
Yes I do! It was a little ornamental
thing on my friend’s leg. I was so nervous that it took me almost 2 hrs. to do.
(Now it’s about a 10 min job).
We didn’t know how to take care of it
properly and we went to the Jacuzzi to celebrate. The next morning her tattoo
got infected and after few days she completely lost all of the ink. All that
was left was this beautiful scar which looked like a branding.
How would you
describe your style of tattooing?
My style is “color”.
I like to mix realism and fantasy together.
I like it when my tattoos
look like artwork and not like stickers. It has to have a nice flow, be
proportionate to the body and be different. I guess I want my tattoos to look
different and individual. Just like my customers are! I look at the tattoo that I did yesterday and I would change it
today. My style is constantly evolving, but there’s similarity in my work
when it comes to colors, bit of fantasy. With every tattoo I do, I’m learning
something new and the level I’m at right now is not definite and never will be.
I constantly try new
things. At the moment I am doing more “street art” looking tattoos. I was a bit
bored from doing realistic looking designs and I’m getting back to my “roots”
now where I totally enjoy graffiti stuff.
I just wanna have
more fun and freedom with my work! So at the moment I am at a point where I “play”
and I love it.
I am kind of curious
myself to see what's gonna be next.
What were you doing
before you got into the tattoo business, and what made you change?
I never did anything else except
tattooing. I started to tattoo just after I finished my studies.
What would you say is
the best part about tattooing?
The best thing that I
like about being a tattooist is my life style for sure. Tattooing has giving me
the freedom I need. It takes me to many wonderful places, through my work I meet
many interesting people and I constantly learn new things. I can go on and
on, but above all Tattooing is like healing to my soul, I am so grateful!
It's not only my job, but it's my hobby too.
What advice would you
give to someone looking to get their first tattoo?
Make sure this is really what would
you like to have on your body. Try to imagine it; also when it comes to
placement and size. Take your time when it comes to design and choose the artist
carefully.
Tattoos should have good
composition, quality, placement and the whole artistic feel. It should look
good in year’s time, not only for the first few months.
Do you see yourself
doing anything other than tattooing?
Yes I do. I can imagine myself
doing many other things apart from tattooing. But I am not sure if any of those
things would satisfy me as much as tattooing.
I like photography too. I would
like to do something little with street fashion. I would like to have some sort
of Café or Restaurant one day as well.
I have many other options but
tattooing is the only thing I know for a fact that I love and it makes me happy.
It's something that completes me.
Do you have a
favorite quote?
“Treat others the way you want to
be treated”
What’s your biggest inspiration,
what keeps you going?
In a few words: It's my passion for
life! I just look around and I see the beauty
in little things. It can be ordinary things that we don’t notice much. For
example, I saw this guy on TV wearing such a nice shirt with some laces around
his neck and I transferred this design into one of my favorite sleeves.
I like new things,
new experiences, new people and new places. It’s all very exciting to
me. There's constantly something going on in my life! Also; this is one of
the reasons why I love to travel. It's very important to me in so many
different levels!
What influences your
artwork?
I am not sure what it is exactly,
but my style is constantly changing after some time. I am influenced with my
current way of living I would say. My influence is my inspiration.
What is one thing
that life has taught you?
From experience I have learned that
nothing in life is free. You have to work hard to achieve what you want!
You are the creator of your own
life.
Also, everything is exactly how it
should be! No matter what it is, everything happens for a reason.
Where do you see the
tattoo culture 10 years from now?
I totally believe
that the tattoo culture is going to get even bigger, better and more popular by
the time!
I especially like
seeing this “new generation” of artists who are pushing the boundaries, who are
trying to create new unseen things. They are playing with new designs, tools and
ideas. It’s amazing and in a way I feel like there’s no limit!
I feel very positive
and happy about new things to come in the tattoo world! I also see the progress
in attitude of some people towards tattoos. Society is becoming more open
minded. People in general are starting to appreciate it much more, they are seeing
it more and more like an art.
Anything else you
would like to add?
At the moment I have my first book
out called "Narcissistic Rockstar", which contains 120 colorful pages
of my tattoo work. There are some illustrations, drawings, photos, a bit of
text and much more! Anyone who's interested in grabbing a copy can contact me
via email:
toxic-tattoo@hotmail.com
Also, for 2013 I am planning to
attend tattoo conventions all over the place, but my main focus will be Europe.
My nearest one will be Milan in February.
Currently I am working on various
prints of my artwork and have more projects going on for the future.
You can always check me out on Facebook.