For people unfamiliar with you, could you please share a bit about the technique itself and how you came to practice it?
I open a 3D program, create a sketch in it, and then transfer that sketch onto the client’s skin. This gives me complete creative freedom: in composition, color, and ideas.
The problem in the tattoo world is that: Tattoo artists often take images from Pinterest or Google, simply outline them (turning them into a certain tattoo style, like dotwork or new school), and present them as their own. As a result, we end up with a plethora of internet-sourced designs that are almost identical, with only minor variations.
3D, on the other hand, provides the artist with much more creativity: a slight change in perspective, adding a light source – and voila, it’s done! A couple of mouse clicks and a unique project is ready. And if you’re also can do modeling or sculpting – then there are no limits.
Do you listen to music while working? If so, what kind of music gets you in the zone?
Of course! I always choose music based on the task at hand: if I need to focus, concentrate, and calm my mind – I opt for mantras or kirtans. If I find myself a bit tired or need speed in my work – various mixes, DJ sets, techno. Therefore, the palette of my musical taste is quite extensive.
How do you perceive art in general, and how do you approach it?
For me, art is primarily a language of communication. Just like I’m writing this sentence now, I believe I could also draw it. But unlike letters or sounds, visual art works instantly, penetrating you as a whole, even into your subconscious. Additionally, art is a divine energy that flows through each of us. Some are more open to this flow, while others are closed off. But everything can be changed.
What are you looking forward to or excited about in your career?
I want people to experience intense positive feelings and emotions from my works. Tears should flow or the corners of their mouths should curl up in joy. You know, I want my (my?) works to evoke that feeling of tightness in the chest, like when you’re standing in front of a masterpiece in a museum, unable to understand or articulate anything, yet feeling so good. In a world with so much evil and unhappiness, even if people can escape from it for 15-20 seconds, that’s already a good thing.
You combine graphic art and realism on a larger scale. Do you intend to shift your portfolio in any other direction?
I’m always expanding. It’s the law of the Universe to expand, and I follow it. When the time comes, I’ll condense into a point and disappear. Then, it will all start anew.
If you carefully examine my works, you’ll see elements of Japanese art, op-art, surrealism, art nouveau, pre-Raphaelites, contemporary art, graphic design, and more. I’m like a good DJ: I don’t have favorite or disliked tracks, I love everything at once. The only rule for new combinations is harmony. And that’s another law of the Universe.
Do you have plans for retirement or other passions you’re looking forward to pursuing in the future?
Yes, I have a retirement plan ready. Making plans is entertaining the Universe, but still:
I want to complete an academy of fine arts in Florence, specializing in painting, create paintings, achieve some degree of financial independence, and then travel and make documentary films about yoga with my wife for the rest of my life. I want to popularize this subject, teach it. Everything I’ve achieved or know in this life is thanks to my wife and yoga. Yoga is truly the most important thing on this (and other) planet. Om.
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