How I Got Into Tattooing & Why It Became My Passion
My journey into the tattoo industry began with a search for an art form that would be as honest, personal, and alive as possible. Since childhood, I’ve had a deep drive to create – I wanted to draw, design, and build things with my own hands. But life often steers us toward practicality. At one point, pausing between the endless routine and daily tasks, I asked myself: “Why am I constantly putting off what truly lights me up?”
The answer came instantly: it was time to stop trying to find myself in fields I didn’t love and dedicate all my time to what my soul had always been drawn to. That’s how I came to tattooing – a realm where artistic expression meets precise craftsmanship.
I am inspired by minimalist linework, lettering, tongue-in-cheek designs, and the ignorant style. They lack artificial complexity or pretense; instead, they offer pure form, meaning, character, and a bit of playful rebellion. To me, a tattoo isn’t just a drawing on the skin – it’s a visual mark of an inner state, a memory, or an attitude toward life.
From Discipline to Craft
I made a plan and dove headfirst into the process. I bought equipment, started taking courses, and spent dozens of hours practicing: perfecting my hand movement, understanding needle mechanics, and studying pigment behavior.
However, self-learning is just the foundation. To keep growing, I needed a professional perspective. I started looking for artists in Orlando and connected with a tattoo artist named Nina @ninonika_tattoos. Meeting her was a turning point: under her mentorship, I transitioned from basic techniques to precise, clean, high-level work.
My background in craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail taught me the main lesson: in tattooing, there are no small details. From flawless sterility and stencil prep to the final outline, I approach every session with care, respect for your body, and attention to your vision. It’s no longer just a hobby – it’s an intentional path and the confidence that I am right where I belong.
My Journey: From Architecture in Europe to the Roads of America
For those curious to know who is behind the machine – my path to this craft was long and spanned several continents and many professions.
I was born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a wonderful city where a vast number of nationalities and cultures intertwine. This multicultural environment shaped my open worldview from an early age. My creative drive showed up back in school: thanks to an amazing teacher, I held my first solo painting exhibition featuring dinosaurs, and winning an international art contest brought me my first major prize – a bicycle. Later, I transferred to an art academy high school, and then decided to dedicate my life to architecture and design.
My desire to grow brought me to the Czech Republic, where I studied architecture tuition – free while building a career in web design on the side. My years in Europe not only gave me the chance to visit most EU countries and absorb their culture, but also provided an incredibly diverse professional experience. I managed to work as a cook at the iconic U Prince restaurant in Prague’s Old Town Square and even became a certified Photovoltaic Expert (Fotovoltaický expert), designing solar power plants.
Later, life took a sharp turn, and I found myself in the US. I landed in New York right before the pandemic hit. While the metropolis came to a standstill, I spent every day riding my bike through completely empty streets working as a delivery driver. That period taught me to find a way out of any situation. Soon after, I built my own handyman business from scratch. Thanks to quality work and attention to detail, over 3,000 New Yorkers became my clients over a few years.
My American experience wasn’t limited to big cities. I worked on telecom towers, which allowed me to see the country from the most unusual vantage points. Later, after getting my CDL, I worked as a truck driver for over two years, visiting almost every state in America. In parallel, I built an international business selling auto parts on eBay, establishing a complex inventory system and coordinating remote work for people around the world.
What Inspires Me
All this life, filled with intense events and sometimes serious challenges, didn’t make me tough or hardened. On the contrary, it crystallized my love for simplicity, clarity, and ease.
My main anchor and motivation to keep moving forward is my family: my amazing parents, my brother, my nephew, and my cousin, all of whom I miss dearly.
In my free time, I recharge through daily gym workouts – it’s my essential daily ritual. I love nature, hiking, deep international cinema, anime, and history. When I travel, the first thing I explore is the local cuisine and architecture. I’m deeply fascinated by other cultures and languages: I’m currently fluent in Russian, Czech, and English, happily learning Spanish, and plan to tackle Chinese and Japanese in the future.
Every mile behind the wheel of a truck, every architectural project, and every new city led me toward finding my true voice. For me, tattooing is a return to art. I pour all my diverse experience, visual culture, and love for life into every single line to share only light, aesthetics, and warmth with you.