Tattoo marketer andartist Sandy (@sandy_inksane) owns Inksane Tattoo in Belgium. Not only does she create amazing art but she’s also developed a digital agenda system for tattoo studios. Here we dive into her tattoo style and how she’s helping other artists in the industry…
First of all, tell us more about your work as a tattoo artist, how did you get into it?
I’ve been asked this question a lot and I still don’t have a fancy story for it. I was young, 24, full of energy (still am), and I just wanted to do it. Being self-employed and making an income with art was appealing to me.
How would you describe your tattooing style?
My style was black ‘n’ grey and colour photorealism. In the last few years, I’ve evolved into bio-organic tattoos. This style has always been more of a hobby for me. I would do it when I was drawing or painting for myself on a daily basis. I would do this type of art more on a canvas rather than on actual clients.
Can you tell us more about what bio-organic tattoos are?
Bio-organic is a style that pays a lot of attention to the anatomy of the to be tattooed bodypart. It follows the muscles. It was first done by HR Giger, who also created the creatures and scenery for the Alien movies. I guess it can be compared to biomechanic, where the mechanic version is mostly insinuating metallic, smooth shapes. The organic version is insinuating ‘organisms’. We use a lot of textures we find in nature in these tattoos. You see a lot of unearthlyy shapes flowing, some would describe it as a horror style.
What’s your studio like and where is it?
My studio is called Inksane (www.inksane.be ), and it’s located in Roeselare, Belgium. It’s been around 13 years since I opened it, and we’ve been growing steadily ever since.
Every time it got too busy or our waiting list per artist was over six months, I’d accept an extra artist or apprentice. It grew to the point where we had 15 artists working on a daily basis. To manage all of that I hired a marketing manager and a shop manager. Also my partner helps with the reception and bookings. Because of the pandemic and the economy we’re now at around 12 artists a day, so we are still a large studio.
Around four years ago, we started expanding the studio to different locations through a franchise scheme. The other two Inksane shops aren’t run by me, but they’re under a franchisee system.
From left to right: Anke (receptionist Roeselare), Michael (owner Brussel), Maxim (owner St-Niklaas), me, Danny (reception Roeselare, my partner). Photo taken by our marketing manager Tom. For an Inksane promotional campaign.
Where are the two other Inksane shops and who runs them?
We have Inksane Roeselare run by me. Inksane Brussel by Michael, Inksane St-Niklaas by Maxim and Inksane Gent will be run by Cristian.
What’s the tattoo scene like where you are?
The tattoo scene around here is normal, steady, and friendly. Nothing fancy either. There are a few smaller conventions in the area on a yearly basis.
Do you remember what first made you fall in love with tattoos?
The focus. The way you can get sucked in and keep drawing and practising for days and weeks and years. Also the ongoing learning process. It never ends. You can get better every year for the rest of your life.
And what do you still love about the tattoo world now?
I’m not tattooing much these days. I gradually moved into business and marketing. It was not a consious decision.
In the past, when I was tattooing, I felt guilty I was not working on my business. And when I was doing marketing, I felt guilty I wasn’t drawing or tattooing. This inner fight took about 10 years, until I gave in to the business side.
Now with my studio (and the franchise locations) I make sure that our artists can focus on only being creative. We do all the other work for them. Like social media, drawing, managing customers, taking bookings, answering emails, reception and ordering stock etc.
We have the right person in the right place and the right tools – like our agenda system.
Sandy’s agenda systemSandy’s agenda system
What exactly is a digital agenda system? What does it do?
Tattoogenda.com is a digital calendar/CRM (customer relationship management) for tattoo studios. Think Google Calendar, Calendly, Square, but mixed and fine-tuned to the tattoo industry.
It takes digital deposits from clients, sends automated reminders via sms or email, it has consent forms, waiting lists, aftercare emails, keeps track of deposits, etc. You can also use booking forms on your tattoo studio’s website to take consultations or piercing appointments.
Sandy standing and teaching her receptionists & franchise managers some marketing. “We do this on a monthly basis. Every month we have another topic to teach or talk about.”
How does it work for your studio? And are other studios using it? Is it a global thing?
I designed it myself so we could be more organised when running our own studio. When I made it available to my franchise locations, I realised I could also offer this software to other studios, too. Everybody can now take out an easy online subscription at www.Tattoogenda.com/pricing, so indeed it is a global thing.
I have the best development partner that takes care of the engineering part. I do quite a bit of development myself now. I also help other tattoo studios get set up with Tattoogenda and integrate it with their website.
Left to right: Michael (Brussel), Maxim (St-Niklaas), Sandy, Anke (reception at Roeselare), Danny (reception, Roeselare). Photo taken by Tom (marketing), for an Inksane promo campaign on a monthly franchise day.
What are your hopes for the future?
My goal is to work together with more tattoo professionals from around the world on getting their tattoo studio organised. Also improving my software along the way.
At the same time I enjoy running my own Inksane studio and intend to keep it that way. We will be opening a third franchise location next month in Gent. I’m very exited about that. The franchisee (manager) is a tattoo artist that has been working with us for a long time and I’m very proud of him.
Social media consultant and tattoo geek Rebecca Givens has been thinking about how artists are keeping up with Instagram trends, changes and updates.
I can’t take credit for this article title – you have Twin Atlantic to thank and a lyric from their most recent album. When I heard these particular words last week (“algorithm prison that we’re all bred to live in”), they resonated with me. I’ve had quite a few conversations with tattooists lately during which we’ve reminisced over the old pre-algorithm days of apps like Instagram.
What began as a simple photography platform designed to show, within set square templates, the aesthetic vibe of your brand, work or life (to everyone who actually followed you, might I add), has now become something much more complex. Managed by invisible but powerful mechanisms that decide who gets to see you, when, where and how.
In June 2021 when the Head of Instagram officially declared it “no longer a photo sharing app” but an entertainment hub that prioritises video experiences, we said a sad goodbye to the days of taking a photo and clicking publish.
As small business owners, we now find ourselves in a position where – if we’re not playing by the current rules, consistently and creatively – our efforts shoot down the system’s pecking order and we are consequently less and less visible, even to those loyal people who actively clicked ‘follow’.
For industries like tattooing, in which many artists rely almost solely on Instagram for customers, this is kind of a big (and often anxiety-inducing) deal. Many feel like they simply can’t keep up with what they feel they ‘should be’ doing online.
Yes, it is inevitable for content sharing sites to evolve as time moves forward, but that doesn’t change the fact that we now feel differently about the channels we’re glued to throughout the day. In other words, we’re spending a lot of our time doing stuff we don’t love doing. No one wants that.
Tattooists are finding themselves – not just designing art, creating tattoos, setting up, cleaning down, managing businesses and the other million things they have to do, but also – feeling the pressure to create entire social media strategies that showcase the process and the end result in order to get impressions and engagement. A simple post-tattoo photo with a few hashtags doesn’t cut through the noise anymore.
We know that we need to consider higher-performing formats like video, we need to edit and publish in an optimised way, we need to share at the most efficient time of day, equally spreading ourselves across reels, carousels, live and stories whilst also innovatively telling our brand narratives, jumping on tending audio, keeping our highlights neat, branding our bios and much, much more. Overwhelmed yet?
It’s no wonder we feel like we’re stuck in a game, one we didn’t sign up to play, one we’re desperately trying to follow the rules of, but often failing. The reason why we frequently feel like we’re not mastering the sport is because as self-employed individuals, or often as artists who have other ‘day-jobs’, we CAN’T do it all.
The first and most important thing I ask a client to do when working on a social media strategy together is I ask them to have a think about what makes them unique (as this will influence selecting which things they CAN do). Uniqueness is key right now because, as influencers and social media entrepreneurs begin to identify what the algorithm loves, we are seeing a repetition of aesthetics, templates, sounds and styles which users are inevitably becoming fatigued by.
It is becoming more and more important to ask yourself – within your industry, what can make you unique?
There are dozens of ideas, our feeds are clogged up with ‘what everyone else is doing’, but don’t rush into anything just yet – take a step back and think about who YOU are and how YOU want to be seen.
Once you’ve thought about your image and branding you can eventually select two or three ideas to focus on that match up with your values. Incorporate these into a solid and realistic strategy (a list of best-performing formats you are going to do – why, how and when). What things can become ‘your things’, and why? And know that everything is not for everyone and that’s OK – lots of very successful artists don’t ever show their face, they find other ways to shout about who they are and what they do in a vibrant and distinctive way.
What it all comes down to, what is at the heart of any good social strategy for an individual creative is one important thing – you.
Any content plan should be built on the foundation of your individuality and your unique skills, only then can you even entertain the notion of doing something that stands out from everything else churned out in your particular communities.
The end result – you feel less of an algorithm prisoner and more in control and passionate about sharing your work, through content that needs to follow some sort of system, yes, but steers clear of the monotonous compliance of keeping up with social trends. And if there’s any culture in the world that does this already, that is all about breaking the mould and embracing individuality, it’s tattooing. If anyone can shatter the cycle of Insta-clones, it’s us.
Tattoo enthusiastAdriana de Barros, The Tattoo Journalist is an author, editor and photographer covering all things fine art and tattoos. Her unique interviewing style sets her apart, making her work with legends of the tattoo world a must-read. In this exclusive interview we chat to her about her career, tattoos and the future of tattooing…
A portrait of The Tattoo Journalist.
How did your fascination with tattoos begin? As a child, I remember seeing postcards and books with tattooed 19th-century women and circus performers from “Freak shows.” Outcasts drew me in because they were different.
I would have been heavily tattooed as a teenager with old-school sailor tattoos like swallows and other designs, if it hadn’t been for my severe pigment allergy. As a result, I had to wait a few decades longer for inks that were more natural and suitable for sensitive skin.
Illustrative body art by Makoto.
Which genre of tattooing are you drawn to the most? I enjoy all types of blackwork, from abstract to illustrative. Anything done well in black ink, positive or negative space — I’m drawn to the simplicity and ancient qualities of black ink and how it remains relevant and modern.
An inside look at the first issue of “Ta’too,” featuring Daniela Sagel’s artwork.
When did you get your first tattoo? Do you still like it? I got my first piece approximately five years ago, and it was a little heart in a less prominent location to allow me to test my response to the ink before getting a larger piece. Although the tattoo has sentimental meaning, I would not call it as attractive on an aesthetic level; I prefer more solid art like my backpiece.
A black-ink piece by Makoto.
Do you consider yourself a tattoo collector? No, because I prefer to have a single flowing piece of art on my body. It took eight hours to complete an ornamental floral work on my back, and I’ll finish the ribs, shoulders, and arms in time. As a collector, the only thing that comes to mind is tattoo books, which I acquire for study and collection.
An interview with legend Freddy Negrete at Hollywood’s Shamrock Social Club.
Do you prefer being tattooed at conventions or an artist’s studio? I’ve had both, but I prefer a calmer, quieter setting with more one-on-one interaction with the tattooist. As a spectator or member of the press, I enjoy conventions because they allow people to see tattooing on a larger scale and meet international artists. However, event spaces are challenging to navigate for artists or clients; it is a hectic environment.
The Tattoo Journalist’s photographs of Freddy Negrete.
What is it about tattoos do you think that makes them so appealing? When they were underground, it was their edge and mystique. With the increased availability, I feel that the permanent-ink factor on the skin may be a lifelong commitment that empowers you. It becomes more than a decorative item; it imbues you with a traditional, spiritual sense.
It has the potential to transform you positively so that your inner sentiments become visible on your outer; you become more yourself.
The debut edition of “Ta’too.” Cover art (head tattoo) by Gordoletters.
What inspired you to write your book Ta’too? Its goal is to offer an alternative to mainstream publications by being transparent about the tattoo community, the art, the history, and the human side of the narratives, rather than following internet trends. The first edition featured avant-garde tattooists ranging from Makoto to Oscar Hove.
The second covers tattoo legends from Charlie Cartwright to Kari Barba based in the United States, individuals with 30- to 40-year careers who paved the way for the rest of us. Younger generations frequently overlook them, and I believe they deserve to be featured and told their stories, which speak volumes about the industry’s growth.
The third will be completely different, focusing on raising tattoo awareness in other parts of the world.
On the left is a painting by tattoo queen Kari Barba, which appeared in the second annual of “Ta’too.”
You’re the editor of Scene360. Can you tell us more about this publication? On December 1, 2000, I launched Scene360 as a digital arts and film magazine. It merged several art disciplines into a single publication that did not exist on the internet at the time.
It piqued readers’ interest right away. Film festival coverage (SXSW, Cannes), interviews with painters (Gary Baseman, Helnwein Gottfried), photography (Carl de Keyser, Kavan the Kid), and poet profiles were among the early highlights.
Scene360 was developed with the help of various contributing editors and writers. We included graffiti and tattoos, and as readers expressed interest, we added additional features. For the last decade, tattoo art has been one of our specialties, and Scene360 has shifted its focus entirely to tattoo content. It was nothing more than a natural occurrence.
Lyle Tuttle, the father of modern tattooing, during the Santa Rosa expo in 2019.
What moment in your career, so far, are you most proud of? That’s a difficult one to answer. Having previously worked as a graphic designer and web developer, it took around 15 years of hard work to be recognised for a Webby Award for Best Art project in 2015 without any financial assistance or ties to a large firm. The majority of online ventures require funding to succeed. I didn’t have any; everything was self-sufficient. It taught me that I could achieve what seemed impossible.
The second happened not long ago, when I was at the Santa Rosa expo and had the honour of meeting legend Lyle Tuttle for the first time. I became engrossed in the moment, listening to his stories and absorbing his historical knowledge for hours. Sadly, he died a few weeks after we met, but that day stayed with me; he showed me that I was on the right track, that tattooing would be my life’s purpose. I am highly grateful to Lyle!
Shane Tan’s tattoo art, one of the Scene360 interviewees.
Do you have a favourite tattoo artist? Responding to this will send me to hell. I’m not going to name my favourites, but they include Maud and Gus Wagner, Sailor Jerry, Ed Hardy, Horiyoshi III, Chris Garver, Gakkin, Shane Tan, Hanumantra, and Makoto.
Is there an artist you’d love to interview? Ed Hardy.
Kari Barba during her 1982 first convention, held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.
Which female tattoo artists do you admire? Along with Maud Wagner, who is credited with being one of the first female tattoo artists in the Western world—a pioneer and true inspiration—I love Kari Barba, who committed her work in the 1980s to promoting gender equality and has remained a tattoo force ever since.
The development of a bodysuit by Shane Tan.
The tattoo world is constantly changing; where do you see the tattoo industry going in the next 10 years? I believe we are in the midst of a new tattoo renaissance. East Asia is reviving—Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea. Growth will occur in the West as well.
Creatives tend to feed off one another; if one region of the world excels, it pushes other areas to improve. Even though there are many tattoo artists today, the ones who will survive in the long run will be true artists with quality expression, composition, and technique.
In terms of a personal wish for the future, I hope that ink technology advances so that coloured pigments appear opaque and bright on darker skin tones.
Our contributor Sarah Kay learns about the relationship between mentor and apprentice…
Five years ago, tired of expensive rents and constant noise, delayed trains and endless commutes, I decided to move to a small village in the Upper Normandy region of France where neighbours all know each other and the cheese is definitely better than what I could experience elsewhere. Sure, it was a terrible decision as I travel a lot and was further away from airports, but I had an amazing bakery, a great apartment – then last year, something happened: a tattoo shop opened. Curious, I went in in the first days. Located two doors away from me, I had never seen a tattoo shop that far away from the big cities that had, according to their page, a serious quality to them.
I had just returned from NYC and asked MVDV, whom I barely knew at the time, to tattoo a slice of blueberry pie on me. His enthusiasm and really funny disposition made me immediately at ease, and the result is incredible. Having them as neighbours, I had the opportunity to know them better – and to continue booking appointments even as borders remain closed due to COVID-19. It’s an incredible luxury. I took time out of the apprentice, Trixie Lunie’s busy day to ask her questions about the tattoo world and her decision to enter it, and asked her mentor, MVDV, how he sees it. The keyword? Humility.
How long have you been an apprentice for now? A little over nine months.
How many tattoos have you done on actual people, including yourself? Over thirty I think on people, and five on myself.
How long have you wanted to be a tattoo artist for? For about 10 years. It wasn’t always possible, since a tattoo apprenticeship is unpaid, but now I can do it because I have a partner supporting me and after having worked for many years before I’m entitled to unemployment benefits.
Were you drawing before or were enrolled into any form of art curriculum? No, I’m an autodidact. I’ve been drawing since I was capable of holding a pencil though, I had been watching my dad tattoo – he was a tattooer himself. He was more of a scratcher: he would tattoo from home, mostly his friends, local people, I still got to take a look at how he worked, and we would attend conventions together. As clients, not professionals! (laughs) Let it be clear that I’m not into his style, but he never was told or taught how, never had a strong foundation, and that’s what I wanted and needed. I wanted a reputable studio where I would be shown and told strictly what to do and how to learn to be the best tattooer I can be.
How long did it take for you to find an apprenticeship? A long time! It’s really hard. There are a lot of requests and very few spots. It took me about a year to find this one. I found them through social media, I liked the work being performed, people seemed satisfied; I just didn’t want to go just by reputation. A reputation can take ages to be formed, but it can fall apart so quickly. I wanted something solid. Now I truly believe I have what I wanted, with a great mentor.
So who is your mentor? Is it Casper (the owner) or MVDV (the tattooer)? Casper is my Jedi Master, and I am MVDV’s padawan. We’ve only known each other since February! It’s going very well. I’m learning a lot, because my preference is manga and anime, and he works mostly in realism, so that was definitely a learning curve. He’s making me draw a lot, I’m starting to tattoo on fake skin, and he’s always behind me, telling me what I can improve. He gauges when I’m ready to do something, which may not always be when I feel ready. They’re making me draw some flash sheets right now so I can get used to creating designs.
I saw that you posted on your Instagram about the tattoo me too situation. How do you feel about that and how do you see your place as a young female up and coming artist? I know that in this studio I will never face any form of discrimination whatsoever. I think elsewhere however, womxn can be under-respected because they are still believed to only be there to draw cutesy hearts or butterflies; I follow a lot of female artists that do, and do so in very different styles and who completely own it. And there’s nothing wrong with being girly. Womxn can be good at everything. There’s enough room for everybody now, and now there are conventions for female tattoo artists too, so I’m entering the business at the right time. A few years ago, it may have been different.
Who is inspiring you right now? Charline Puth, who has a private studio in Paris, I’m getting tattooed at Getcha Club by Charlotte E San in Lille. I love all this Japanese inspired art world. At the end of the day though, we’re all here to do the best job possible for the client and their idea of the design, so as Casper told me when I started, we need to be able to do everything. Of course I’d like to specialise in manga-inspired work and work on really colourful designs, and there is an audience for that, but I must be capable of performing in any style as well.
When it comes to the tattooer-client relationship, what are the values that you hope to bring to the table as a solo artist? What matters to me is to have a very clean shop, that is inviting, really abide by strict rules of surgical hygiene with the equipment, and look my best as well, so people can trust me. Then I want to establish a friendly atmosphere, regardless of the mood I’m in, just like in any other workplace, a lot of humour so people can feel comfortable, and be really respectful of their bodies and of their boundaries.
How do you deal with someone who is anxious – because it’s their first tattoo, a sensitive body part, because of the pain, how do you put them at ease? You talk to them a lot, you offer them a cup of coffee, you ask them if they had something to eat, you take your time. You make sure to have a lot of time so the person can take as many breaks as they need to, I know MVDV is really cautious on the first lines to see how the person reacts and how he can talk them through what’s happening.
Do you think it’s a possibility that a womxn would enter the shop and would rather have you tattoo her than MVDV? That’s a total possibility. It depends on the body part. I would do it, if this is a person that would rather have a womxn do it, especially with everything that’s going on. With MVDV though, he’s been working with some sensitive body parts as well and everything went smoothly; that’s his job, he’s used to it, he knows how to work it, and he would never post insensitive photos on Instagram afterwards, you see.
Do you think it’s harder to be a female apprentice with a male mentor? You need to have a strong personality in this business anyway, because there are stupid people everywhere. You need to stand your ground and go for it once you found the place where you’re comfortable.
About competition? Of course there’s a lot of competition, but as I said there is room for everyone and everyone can carve their own space.
How do you see your future in this shop? I’ll be 80 and still tattooing on fake skin. (laughs)
Your biggest fear right now about tattooing someone? I recently tattooed one of my good friends and she was really stressed out and it was contagious, but I managed to keep a steady hand and I had really prepared for it.
This fear that you’re permanently altering someone’s body and you’re afraid to screw up, that never fully goes away, right? No, it doesn’t. With experience, you gain perspective. A tattooer will always have something to learn. If someone goes ahead and tells you they have nothing left to learn and know everything, I don’t think they got the point. They no longer evolve. Techniques change. Methods change. Equipment changes. Designs change.
Now that tattooing has become so prevalent in the last decade, you see “tattoo schools” pop up, and people entering the fold with art degrees. What do you think about it and how it changes the nature of tattooing? I believe in apprenticeships, but it would be helpful if it had a real legal status. We deal with it, and I do, but it would be great if it could be recognised as an apprenticeship just like any other profession. As for art, you may be a brilliant artist, that still won’t make you a good tattoo artist. Those are two different things. Nothing can replace a solid apprenticeship.
How long do you think your apprenticeship will last? My whole life! After a year and a half I think I will have a good foundation. Just the foundation. But I wouldn’t be a good artist then. I am going to start tattooing soon, because it comes with practice. The shop remains small and approachable, even though we’re starting to be booked quite solidly, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. My two masters are extremely good, we have a great working relationship and they tell me if anything is wrong. They explain to me how to place order, how to manipulate equipment, hygiene requirements, but this is not a shop where they will only have me serve coffee and sweep up for a year, you know? They’re making me draw and work on fake skin every day.
A last word on womxn in the industry? That female tattoo artists are just as qualified as a male one, that some can run circles around others, that we’re not here to be a punchline. Things are changing really fast, hopefully for the better. And there also should be no objectification of heavily tattooed womxn either!
How long have you been tattooing for? It’s been nine years. Very happy with my evolution – I’m learning more about the craft every day. I was just doing my thing for five years and now I’m officially set up in a shop for four.
And now that you’re an apprentice’s mentor, how do you feel about it? It feels really strange because I don’t feel like I am in a position to be a mentor. I don’t feel I have what it takes yet to be a mentor. I don’t feel any seniority.
So how does the dynamic work? I can give her tips and pointers based on what I am capable of doing, but I still feel like mentorship has to be earned and being a mentor is something that carries with it a lot of responsibility. No one is really a mentor as we all learn something new every day. To be a mentor, for me, is the end-all-be-all of the work, it’s being in such a strong position of authority in the history of tattooing.
What has been the most challenging piece for you so far? It was a realistic lion that I just did this week! And it has taught me a lot about what I can do and how to best approach it.
How do you see Trixie debuting in this industry once her apprenticeship will be complete? I’m not necessarily apprehensive, but just like I did have, it necessitates a lot of rigor and a lot of perseverance to make it. For those of us who had to learn everything on the go, it’s even harder, so it requires a lot of personal commitment.
What does it mean to you to train a new female artist? There are so many womxn out there who are doing such an amazing job, discrimination makes absolutely no sense. Womxn have their place in this industry the way they do everywhere else.
What do you think of this reckoning right now in the tattoo industry about sexual misconduct? Those are horrible people who would be horrible in any other job as well but abusing their position. We are in a profession where the human body is literally our canvas, our workplace, so men who are unable to behave with respect in this job have absolutely no place here.
Do you feel a specific type of responsibility when you tattoo a sensitive body part? A place that she wouldn’t like, but she wants to look at and see something beautiful instead? It’s the case for everyone, I feel, that they come to tattooing to change the way their body is before, and turn it into art. And it’s entirely my responsibility to do the best possible job I can so they can look at it years onwards and still love it. It’s true that if they’re having a difficult time because of body image, we have the opportunity to work with the client to make something really significant. Any art you work on is for life, and you have a duty as an artist to make it as perfect as possible. There’s no way to half-ass it. Whether it’s your specialty or not, if you accept to do it, the responsibility is there. I think about this all the time: it’s permanent body altering.
And that’s really something you want to transmit to your apprentice. Yes: the love of working with people, the love to create; and to me this is when you know someone is really into tattooing and has the potential to be a really good tattooer, it’s when they take pleasure in the challenge of creating something special. Going to work is not a chore. The tattooer-client relationship is an exceptional one. And being talented is something you have to constantly perfect, constantly improve.
The piece that makes you the most proud? I recently worked on a UFO, and I really loved it. I had added it to a flash sheet and I never thought someone would pick it; it’s something that is really dear to me, UFO and aliens, and that was really just something that came out of my head. This person really crushed on it and loved it, and I was just so happy to be able to do that piece. I thought it would be a little too “out there” for people, and no, it found its client! And that was wonderful for me.
What’s the future like for you? I’m not worried about clients coming in, but I know I have to keep on learning, evolving, meeting new people, working on my craft, because you can become irrelevant real quick, there are new people coming out every day who just blow everything out the water. That’s something I learned immediately, so I’m just really looking forward to being in a job where I have to keep on learning every day. And if I can travel with this, learning other techniques, histories, legacies, that would be ideal. I had no mentor personally – when I arrived at Casper’s, they showed me the technical aspect of this, how to pose a stencil, how to best see a placement, and for that I’ll forever be grateful. But I don’t consider myself “arrived” or anything like that. I have a team that is family for me, and being a little orphan boy, having found them matters so much to me.
Both Trixie and MVDV are working at Casper S.O. Ink, Chaumont en Vexin, France.
Sarah Kay is a very, very tattooed international human rights lawyer living between Paris and New York. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sarah has kept its taste for cold rain and the rewards that come from sitting still under pressure. You’ll probably find her in London drinking wine.
We absolutely adore Bettina Campolucci Bordi, she’s a plant-based/free-from chef who has a wonderful collection of tattoos. We sat down to have a chat with her about her fave meals, post-tattoo treats and the therapeutic buzz of the tattoo needle…
Bettina, we adore your Insta feed (check it out @bettinas_kitchen). It provides us with such gorgeous food inspo… What made you fall in love with food and decide to follow it as a career? Food has always been a lifelong passion of mine since I was little. Luckily, I stumbled across hosting retreats and found a way to make my dream of cooking as a career a reality. Everything kinda fell into place and the rest is history. I am very lucky that my passion is my actual job!
We love the little peeks of tattoos in your photos, can you tell us about the designs you have on your body? I have my butterflies that were done by an artist in Malaga – my “believe” was done in Barcelona for my 27th birthday. I have a big arm tattoo by an amazing Icelandic artist based in Barcelona called Jonpall, and my latest big piece of the Goddess Kali on my left hand-side shoulder is by a Balinese artist! I also have some more smaller hidden ones…
Are there any that have special significance? Any food related? All of them have significance and were done during transitional periods of my life. Rather than food related, I would say that they are life related
How do you find the tattoo process? I find it therapeutic and almost like going into a zone. I think anyone who gets them can relate. Some of my tattoos took me years to decide and design, and you get into a special head zone, when it comes to having them finally done. The design process, finding the artist, connecting with your piece and then the execution or the creation process is magical. I feel like I go into a trance during, then when it’s done you kind of come out of it. Once the piece is done I go through a bit of honeymoon period with my piece until it becomes part of you and your journey.
Do you have any special meals you eat before? I wish I could say yes but I tend to eat less. Lots of water, no alcohol and good sleep beforehand.
Or any that aid in the recovery/healing process? I love little chocolate treats! There are plenty of recipe ideas in my book [Happy Food], great to batch make before and pull out of the freezer when treats are needed!
What’s your favourite meal? Why? A curry, there is something extremely comforting about a curry. It’s like a warm hug.
What have you got planned for the new year? I am in Costa Rica right now, and will be in Bali soon. I am contemplating getting another tattoo but I am not sure yet! And The 7 Day Vegan Challenge [published by Hardie Grant], my second book, is out now! Exciting.
