I GREW UP AN ARTIST. MY FIRST FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT WAS PAPER AND A PENCIL. I QUICKLY PICKED UP INTEREST IN OTHER MEDIUMS SUCH AS SCULPTING, PAINTING, AND EVEN SOME GRAFFITI. I WAS INTRODUCED TO TATTOOING IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WOULDN’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AS A PROFESSION UNTIL A FEW YEARS AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE. WITH A BFA IN MULTIMEDIA AND ANIMATION, AND GROWING UP ON CHICAGO’S LOWER WEST SIDE, I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A WIDE RANGE OF INFLUENCES. I AM HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE STYLES OF ARTISTS LIKE TODD MCFARLANE, CHAZ BOJORQUEZ, FREDDY NEGRETE, AND FRIDA KAHLO. I ALSO DRAW FROM TRADITIONAL JAPANESE, AZTEC, AND CHICANO BLACK & GRAY. I HAVE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON CUSTOM TATTOO WORK, AND HAVE HAD MY OWN CUSTOM TATTOO STUDIO SINCE 2011.