We’re excited to finally kick off our Tattoos category here at FC?. There are few mediums as high-stakes as tattooing—where the canvas breathes and walks away with your work…forever. As our first article I’m excited to publish this “Q&A” with Eugene Perez, an artist based in Burlington, Ontario.

What’s your name (and studio name/location), and how long have you been tattooing?

Hey everyone my name is Eugene Perez and I’ve been tattooing on and off since 2012 but I’ve been seriously tattooing since 2023. I’m from the greater Toronto area and I tattoo in Burlington, Ontario out of Fresh INK Tattoos.

What got you into tattooing?

I have a friend Roger who was an amazing artist since high school and in my mid twenties I heard he took up tattooing. I got in touch with him and he and his partner RobTatau trained me in the basics. Years later, after honing my craft, Rob offered me a job at his shop and helped land me some clients of my own that I could tattoo and show my true passion for tribal art.

Did you work in other mediums first or go straight to tattoos?

I’ve always been a life long artist. Mainly sketching with anything I could find. I liked 3D design, superheroes, graffiti, realism, and tribal design.

Do you work in other mediums now?

I’ve done some painting and did a few murals but nothing too crazy.

When you were starting out, were you inspired by other artists?

“TattooRich” who I also got tattooed by and he even critiqued some of my designs for me. Also Fred Frost, Samoan Mike, KiwiBurt, and Big Sleeps just to name a few.

Do you have a specific niche or style that you specialize in?

Tribal work, lettering, and Japanese style.

How do you handle the pressure of knowing that when tattooing, it’s permanent…there’s no “undo” button.

It was a little nerve wracking at first. But then again so was the whole process. I had a couple clients asking for changes on the fly while the tattoo was half way in and it really messed with my psyche. Nowadays if there’s no trust in my work then I’m not the right artist for that client and that’s the way it should be.

Some tattoo styles seem to come and go, is there one style that’s gone away that you miss?

No. I think if that particular style faded away then it was for good reason. (ie. barbwire)

I’ve been asked a few times if I think that tribal tattoos are just a fad or when I think that they’ll die out. For some people, yes, it was a fad when The Rock first displayed his half sleeve and everyone wanted one like it or even the same exact one. But for those that are representing the culture of their ancestors or even the appreciation of that culture, the meaning is deeply rooted and a connection formed to the art.

Do you prefer clients who come with a finished idea, or ones who give you a vague concept and let you run with it? Do most clients give you freedom to be creative?

It’s cool if a client has an idea of what their tattoo should look like but they should choose their artist based on their style and know that it will look in that certain way as opposed to hoping that they could match the image that the client has in mind. Tribal designs especially, should be done freehand the day of.

You’ve probably heard a lot of back-stories “behind the tattoo”, is there one story about a tattoo that you’ve done that’s stuck with you?

I once travelled to a friend’s house to tattoo their family member and it was a little distracting having the pets roaming around the workstation and all. At one point I heard a ching’a’ling’ing and looked up to see the dog having sex with the cat smh.

Aside from that story, do you have a favorite tattoo that you’ve done?

Probably my favourite tattoo has been my friend’s arm sleeve. I’ve known this guy since we were 6yrs old and he recently beat stage 4 cancer. The tattoo is his warrior/inner strength comeback story.

Aside from the actual drawing, what’s a skill a tattoo artist needs that people don't realize? What challenges do tattoo artists face?

Becoming a marketing specialist. Mastering your customer service skills. Creating a brand for yourself to stand out and discovering what SEO means and how to use it. I’m an introvert and I normally don’t even like to post pictures of my face but by doing so helps me connect with future clients to help them visualize their tattoo process especially if it’s their first one.

You can find me tattooing at Fresh INK Tattoos in Burlington, ON - @fresh.ink.life,or sometimes at PatayinTattooCo in K/W -@patayintattoo

Be sure to follow Eugene on Instagram: @Sinawali.Flow and at SinawaliFlow.com

Tattoo Artist Spotlight: Eugene Perez