Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicolas Smith.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m an artist from the Brighton Park a neighborhood on south side of Chicago. Not much positive can be said about growing up in that neighborhood due to its gang violence but as you should know a lotus flower can grow in the dirtiest waters and still blossom. My brother would often draw, possibly to stir his mind away from the violence that was happening outside, as I would watch I grew inspired to do the same redrawing Todd McFarlanes’s spawn, cowboy bebop and even a short super hero comic in 1996. Soon after I would grow into liking skate boarding and occasionally piercing my friends without the proper knowledge, as 18 came (2005) I would get my first professional piecing by Oscar Martinez (Chucky/Chux) at a shop that was in my neighborhood called Infinite Ink Owned by Rick Serna. The love, knowledge, and enthusiasm Oscar have for this profession encouraged me to do the same and in a week of being 18 I would come in again and ask for an apprenticeship to learn how to free hand pierce. Two years in I would start to slowly learn how to tattoo and would fall in love with that art, almost 13 years later I still love what I do and still come an hour early to work!
Please tell us about your art.
What I enjoy drawing and tattooing the most is geometric patterns and more so if they let me put some stippling into it. I also enjoy drawing and tattooing Japanese traditional designs such as Buddha, koi fishes, lotus flowers, and the occasional Japanese dragons, not sure why but some time ago I really got into Tibetan Buddhism and I went through a long phase of drawing a lot of Buddhas as a type of meditation as if I we’re Buddhist in a past life. I do also love to put other people’s ideas into a tattoo and not just my own style, I try to be the medium to help a client put what they have on their mind into a piece of artwork that will last the aging process. I get great pleasure seeing a happy client get something meaningful and also at times something that has no meaning at all but rather something that will make others or themselves laugh. I try to tell people that yes, the tattoo is a life time in this body, but our bodies are not a life time, so we should enjoy every moment meaningful or not. But that doesn’t mean you should get tattooed in a kitchen or at home, please always seek and support a professional for this type of work.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I think conditions have improved for artist for the fact that there’s so many types of social media outlets are out there and seems to get more attention from all over the world and if you apply yourself and work you will get noticed a little more easily now a day. But for tattooing it seems to have a slight down fall because most see something on their phone or app and want just that specific design with no creative outlook from the artist. By letting the artist put their creative outlook on something will only bring new styles and ever-changing art instead of the same old’ thing everyone else is doing. Art comes from the heart and everyone has their own love to share in their own way that should be accepted and respected.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Feel free to check out my Instagram at www.instagram.com/libra22187. Or stop in Tattoo Factory at 4441 N Broadway Chicago IL 60640 my days I work are Thursday through Monday from 6pm till 2am. Or if you have any questions regarding a tattoo or to set something up with me contact me through email at libra_26lvm@yahoo.com
Contact Info:
- Address: 4441 N Broadway Chicago il 60640
- Website: https://www.tattoofactory.com/directory/nicolas-smith
- Phone: 17739894077
- Email: libra_26lvm@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/libra22187
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/new_metal_nick
Image Credit:
All photos were taken by me.
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