InkSpired Magazine Issue No. 34 | Page 100

Kalisz is the oldest city in Poland and this is where talented Polish tattoo artist, Piotr Olejnik lives and works. The idea of being a tattooist was on Piotr’s mind since secondary school. Since then, he has tried collecting money for tattoo equipment in many different lines of work. That was more than ten years ago, when the knowledge of tattooing was hardly accessible. What made you want to become a tattoo artist and how long have you been tattooing? I never thought I’d deal with tattooing. In secondary school, my friend made me a tattoo, another friend of mine saw that and constructed a machine. One day, he came to me and asked if I could do something on his body. I think that really was the impetus, by which I felt a pleasure of doing this job. For me, real tattooing started about ten years ago, when I opened my own studio. What did your family and friends think about you getting into the business? I think my family never thought that it would be a job from which I’d be able to live on my own. However, they motivated me to open my own studio. And thanks to my friends, I could improve my skills, because I was perfecting my craft on their bodies. Tell us about your shop, Eviltattoo. Eviltattoo Studio is located in Kalisz, and I’ve had it for ten years. Since this wasn’t built yesterday, it’s time for larger changes. Actually, I am in the stages of building a new studio, which will be more spacious. I also want to include a painting area, where I can gather some friends and paint something with them. 98 INKSPIREDMAGAZINE.COM