A Work
Of Art
By Vanessa Papas
Meet
Roberto Ferrel — an
artistic barber who is
turning heads around
the world. Founded in 2012, Rob The Original
Barber has given new meaning to the words
‘hair art’. Whether you’re young or old, a fan
of poets or politicians, or back Manchester
United or Liverpool, clients are guaranteed
life-life portraits of their favourite celebrities,
athletes and even loved family members —
literally shaved into the back of their heads!
Roberto was born in Los Angeles California
and grew up in Tijuana Mexico.”Growing up I
had a big family and we didn’t have much but
we were very happy,” he says, speaking to
Celeb Styles from his Barber in San Antonio,
Texas. “I’ve been drawing since I was a kid.
Everyone in my family always said that I would
be an artist when I grew up and so I thought
I would likely land up doing something like
photography or graphic design. Drawing just
comes naturally to me — it’s a gift from the
Man up above. I never before pictured myself
as a barber though, it kind of just came my
way.”
Roberto started cutting his own hair about 10
years ago to save money and that’s when he realised
how creative
he could be
with a pair
of clippers
and some
imagination!
“When I
first started
barbering
I never
imagined
worldwide
success. Just
a couple of
years ago I
was in Vegas
wondering if my art would be enough to support my
family. Now it’s carried me beyond what I ever thought
imaginable. I enjoy what I do because I can still use my
drawing skills with portraits and designs. My wife Tiffany
and I have a son Angel who we love very much. They
are very supportive and proud of what I do. I’ve always
wanted to stand out and do something different and here
I am.”
What exactly is ‘hair art’, you may ask? “Any creative
form of hair style,” says Rob. “Hair art is a global thing
right now because everyone wants to wear something
new and different. “In his box of tricks are trimmers,
combs, clippers, straight razor, and eyeliner pencils.
The hairstyle depictions usually take about two hours to
complete and Rob uses one hand to hold a digital photo
on a phone or iPad and the other to style the design. He
first carves an outline with a trimmer and then shaves it
| November / December 2014 | CELEB STYLES
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