Author: Pares Tailor

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“I fell in love with the process of tattooing and that love has been with me all my life,” interview with tattooist Dmitrii Palkin

We sat down to have an in-depth chat with tattoo artist Dmitrii Palkin who tattoos from Mimik Tattoo, in Charlotte, NC.

What first made you fall in love with tattooing? Do you have a very strong first defining memory?

Of course. It was in Russia. I was 10 years old and I saw the movie From Dusk till Dawn for the first time. George Clooney was so cool and he had a big brutal tattoo on his arm. This movie impressed me so much that I couldn’t sleep all night… I became a fan of tattoos after that.

What tattoos are on your own body? How old were you when you got your first? Do they tell a story – or are they more random? Do you still enjoy getting tattooed?

I only have five tattoos on my body… but that’s two arm sleeves, one leg sleeve , and my whole back and chest!

I got my first tattoo done by myself when I was 13 years old. I put together my own machine out of a spoon, guitar string instead of a needle, a ballpoint pen and a motor from a CD player. It was a very bad machine and the result was the same. It was a hieroglyph and I have no idea what it means. But from then on, I fell in love with the process of tattooing and that love has been with me all my life.

How did you become a tattoo artist? Is it a constantly evolving process? 

After graduating from university, I tried my hand at different fields, but I always felt out of place. The love for tattoos is something I’ve always felt.

In one of the hard moments of life, when I lost everything, I decided that this would be the best moment for the dream to become a reality. I gave myself six months to try my hand at being a tattoo artist. It was the best decision of my life. I started learning how to tattoo every day. And this learning doesn’t end even now, seven years later.

How would you describe your style? 

Black and white tattoo, microrealism, fineline.

What inspires you? Do you have any artists you admire?

I am very inspired by Dmitry Troshin, Sergey Murdoc, Sashatattooing, Orge Kalodimas. They are very cool masters, and besides their work I am inspired by the fact that they achieve everything by themselves.

Do you have any guest spots planned? Where and how do customers book in?

Yes, I plan to visit many different states in the US, I want to explore California, Florida, Vegas. To book a session with me, you can use any means of communication. Instagram direct or email Palkin@mimiktattoo.com.

You specialise in covering scars, how did that come about and what do you love about it? 

I once had a situation where my wife badly burned her leg and I lived the recovery journey with her. She was left with scars after the incident and after healing I offered to help her cover them with a tattoo. When I announced on my blog that I was willing to help other women cover their scars as well, I saw huge feedback.

I started getting hundreds of hard tragic stories and pictures of scars sent to me. It was heartbreaking to read them, but I felt compelled to make their lives better. Scars are the heartache of thousands of women.

What’s different about tattooing scarred skin and what should customers think about if they have scars they’d like to tattoo over?

Tattooing over a scar is much more difficult to do than over just a skin. It takes a lot of experience to choose the right design and control the depth of the piercing. In the inexperienced hands of an artist, overlapping a scar will look like mush/a bruise. Not all scars can be resurfaced, sometimes I send clients to a dermatologist for a consultation to get the go-ahead.

We love how open and honest about your past you are on social media, why is that important to you?

Thank you so much! When I talk about my past, I get a lot of feedback from those who are having a hard time right now. And by seeing my journey and what I’ve come to, people see hope for a brighter future. It’s important for me to spread the message, it’s in my recovery programme. It’s also important for me to remind myself where I came from.

You’ve recently moved to the USA, where were you before and what made you make the move? What’s next?

All my life I have lived and worked in Russia and travelled a lot to other countries. America was my childhood dream. And I am happy that I have had this opportunity. America is a great country and I am honoured to work here now and learn  the American  culture!

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MINI REVIEW: Shall Adore presents Ramon Maiden

By Pares Tailor

This evening some of the Things & Ink team had the pleasure of joining Ramon Maiden exhibit some of his finest work at Shall Adore tattoo parlour in Shoreditch. Ramon Maiden is based in Barcelona, Spain but tonight we had the chance to see what he’s known best for and that is reappropriating vintage & religious artwork and adorning them with tattoo imagery.

Before we get stuck in and tell you a little more about Ramon Maiden, we must thank Shall Adore for hosting such an amazing evening in what must be one of the warmest tattoo parlors in London. As soon as you walk through the doors your mind begins to wonder and think endlessly. I mean this little statement said it all…

“Enter and discover the world of Shall Adore, Let us take you on an enchanting visual journey in the celebration of that timeless art medium of permanently marking the skin” – Shall Adore

Ramon Maiden was born in 1972 in Barcelona but was never bound to one city, his travelled extensively and has considered NYC as his second home. Ramon has self taught himself his unique art form, his ideas and inspiration are forever dynamically changing and so are his techniques so you never know what to expect from Ramon but isn’t that all part of the fun and excitement? There is not a uniform side to Ramon, his full of diversity which allows his creativity to continuously grow. His work is a reflection of his life and tonight we got to see that, you could feel his career, travels and interests simply radiate Shall Adore this evening.

“My style is very characteristic and people are usually identified quickly. I try not only cause visual impact and also convey a message, idea, purpose.I perceive the tattoo as a form of artistic expression. Many of the artists I follow not only deal with tattoos, but they are also very good at other types of art.”

This was Ramon first exhibit in London this year and we asked why Shall Adore? Why London? and he came back with one word “Friends”.

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Mini Review: V&A Friday Late – Rules of Adornment

Last week while the Things&Ink team were working hard wrapping up issue five for print, which you will be able to order on Friday, a few of us made it down to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) for a contemporary late night event ‘Rules of Adornment’.

This event has been on our calendar for the last few months so we were very excited to see what the night held. The V&A is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design which was founded in the 1852, so to be at an event in such a renowned building, talking about a various subjects which are part of the Things&Ink DNA was going to be a very intriguing night.

The Rules of Adornment key topics were a mixture of jewellery, technology and tattoos. The night was jam packed with live performances, cutting-edge fashion, debates, one-off displays, installations, special guests, drink, food and guest DJs.

The big question of the night was why do we adorn ourselves with jewellery, accessories, technology and tattoos? Is it about status or personal expression?

As we walked through the doors, hanging high was a giant chandelier of colourful glass spheres by Canadian lighting brand Bocci.

Making our way through various different installations we headed towards the far wing of the museum, “The Sackler Centre”. Randomly on the way we kept seeing a crowd of girls show-casing various ways of wearing different styles of jewellery. It was so interesting seeing jewellery being showcased like this. Jewellery is worn day in day out by billions of people, but it is worn in a way that most people would see as “normal.” Tonight it felt like the boundaries were being pushed.

As we opened the glass doors to the Sackler Centre, it felt like a mini festival of celebration of body art culture. The sound of Gyorgy Ono experimental techno-house jams where being fused with more avant-garde, Musique Concrète and sound art compositions. Drinks in every corner and ink exhibitions and live workshops in various studios in progress.

I spent some time in the Art Studio which was being managed by the Brothers of the Stripe team. I watched various people design and illustrating on flash sheets. All being inspired by the adornment theme.

There was a tattoo stamp workshop in the middle of the studio with people printing and drawing various pieces allowing them to take away a specially printed poster. You could see majority of the crowd learning about tattoo art culture for the first time, falling into a comfort zone with a surprise on their faces. 

We got a chance to catch up with Art historian Matt Lodder , who was speaking on the night about Japanese Tattooing as an Upper-Class Fad in Late 19th Century Britain and we asked him… why do we adorn ourselves with tattoos?

“I think trying to figure out the “why” of tattooing is probably ultimately a futile exercise. Adornment, including tattooing, seems such a fundamental part of being human – and there’s not a culture we’ve yet discovered in history which didn’t use adornment – through a mixture of clothes, jewellery and body art – in some senses. What interests me instead is the “what” – how do particular styles and genres and trends in tattooing come and go, how do they relate with the visual cultures from which they emerge, and what relationships between the individual, her culture and her world do these changing styles indicate? It’s fascinating being able to ask these questions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as museums have shaped and continue to shape our understanding of adornment, and lead as well as illustrate our tastes and sensibilities. It’s certainly the case that tattooists in London were visiting places like the V&A and the British Museum in search of design inspiration, and that their clients were inspired by the things these places introduced them to. Adornment is constant, but what form that takes is constantly shifting.”