66 • SKIN DEEP MAGAZINE
believe in the magic of nature. As time passed I began to
draw more and more, often being inspired by the natural
world; I have always believed deep down in my soul in for-
est spirits.Are you inspired by children’s animation and
literature? Or do you find your ideas from other
sources?
When I was a child I loved Disney animations. I learnt
how to draw all the characters like Pluto and Mickey. I be-
lieved that if I could draw as good as Disney animators I
would be able to work in their studio and make films. But
over time my taste changed a little bit, as I started to dis-
cover more and more. I became interested in other genius
studios like Pixar, Studio Ghibli and Aardman Anima-
tions. For a little while I even took animation workshops
but somehow gave up on this idea and profession (some-
thing I regret a little). Reading comics and participating
in role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and Cy-
berpunk 2020 also had a lot of influence on my creativity.
I started to realise what I wanted to create, and followed
my heart and imagination.Do you find yourself looking back to
your childhood to help design your
characters?
Naturally. I still feel I have an inner child. I
don’t really feel my age; sometimes I wonder if people see
me as being a bit infantile at times. I miss the carelessness
of youth, not worrying about the passing of time, and be-
ing able to express emotion with child-like honesty. My
beloved friend from childhood, who is like a sister to me,
was the one who pushed me towards working as a tattoo-
ist. She called me one day and said, “You have to start tat-
tooing, you will see that people will go crazy about your
ideas”. I told her to stop joking, and that no one would
want such creatures on their body. Luckily, I was wrong
and she was right!There is a dreamlike quality to many of your
tattoos, do your own dreams help develop your
creative practice?
I have come to believe so. I used to often dream about
black unicorns, galloping mystically through a forest at
twilight. I stubbornly believe that this was an early sign
and now evidence for what I am attuned to with my tat-
tooing practice. I believe dreaming is a type of therapy
for coping with the turbulence and sorrows of everyday
life. Sometimes my dreams are painful but I have come
to realise that this is all part of the process, a mechanic
for living contently. I sort of consider dreaming as a good
learning tool, for being emphatic in daily life and helping
us to lead a better path.i believe dreaming is a type of therapy for
coping with the turbulence and sorrows
of everyday life