In 2018, Ivana Belakova a.k.a. IVANA TATTOO ART became the first and only woman in the world to be recognized by MACRO museum in Rome, as a contemporary artist.
Her tattoos, characterized by high contrasting colors and illustrative drawings, are now considered contemporary fine art and are listed in the museum’s catalog.
- How did you get started and what inspired you to become a tattoo artist?
I was never thinking of becoming a tattoo artist; tattooing came to me unexpectedly. I did a little ornamental tattoo for my friend and the second I touched the skin with needle I knew it was love at first sight and that’s exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was 18 years old. I was always an artist- from a young age, I used to draw for fun and later on, I did graffiti art.
- When you first started tattooing in your hometown of Slovakia, the industry was male orientated, and tattoos mainly appealed to male bikers. What was it that made you decide to tattoo and get tattooed?
I was never impacted by who dominated the industry or who the tattoo industry appealed to. I have always tattooed because of its influence on my artistic nature.
Yes, I experienced backlash from the industry influences when I started and from the community but that never affected, discouraged, influenced, or stopped me and never will.
- How many tattoos do you have and what is your favorite one?
I have 3 tattoos and I don’t have a favorite one as all 3 of them are done by my favorite artists and friends: Pepa, from Bohemian Tattoo Arts; Boris and Jeff Gogue.
- What are your main sources of inspiration and how would you describe your aesthetics?
My main source of inspiration is the beauty around me- my environment. I love luxury and quality and that gives me the inspiration to be part of that with my art. Nature and animals also inspire me. I take inspiration from every day of my life. I’m grateful for every new day and what it offers.
I describe my style as a “funky color” in that I am inspired by street art and graffiti, coupled with high fashion. The color aspect is important to note because I tend to use funky, bright, vibrant, and gaudy colors that make a statement in and of them. These colors would not necessarily go together but I find harmony in blending them.
This is how I came up with my description of my tattoos exemplifying an “organized mess.” Nothing is perfect, just like in life. Life itself is also an organized mess. We have so little real control over it, but we make the best with what decisions we choose. So my organized mess is that. It makes and it doesn’t make sense.
At the first sight, my tattoos can seem visually busy, with many graphical aspects going on at the same design, but nothing is overpowering the other, and therefore they are in harmony. My work consists of many different aspects and is in constant evolution. It is a mix of everything surrounding me.
Every day is different and my style of tattooing is constantly changing. I am learning and experimenting constantly with different aspects of my creativity.I don’t stick to any rules; I create freely what is appealing to me and what has an aesthetic quality to me.
- What are your favorite subjects to tattoo and what is your process when designing a piece?
My favorite subjects to tattoo are animals, flower tattoos, or anything fun like children’s drawings. My process is – I find images online (I like nice photography; high-resolution realistic photos) and I create my tattoos directly from that.
Every client for me is unique and exudes different energy; so I like to create for them on the spot once I see them in person. I see colors too which makes my decision even sharper.
- What’s been your favorite moment in your career, so far?
I have had few favorite moments- just a shortcut- winning the most prestigious tattoo shows globally (especially Mondial du tatouage in Paris) and being certified as the only woman in the world whose tattoos are certified as contemporary by the Macro Museum in Rome. Meeting all of the cool people from the industry and traveling the world is always my fav part.
- What do you like to do when you’re not tattooing?
I really love to travel and work on my luxury tattoo brand ITA LOS ANGELES www.italosangeles.com
- What advice can you give to artists who are just starting out?
If possible, look for a mentor! Work on your craft daily, be obsessed, practice as much as possible to become excellent.
Get the most quality equipment, inks, and aftercare. Educate yourself as much as possible! Put yourself into situations and environments where you can work with the best artists, where you can absorb creativity and all this energy.
Be open and listen carefully! End of story – learn from the best and from somebody who’s highly successful.
- In the old days, tattooing used to be regarded as a sub-cultural activity, but now with all the social media apps, it seems to be more mainstream. What are your thoughts about that?
I love everything that comes with this ‘new age’. I love all the free information, expression, and variety.
In my opinion, if somebody dislikes this or sees it as mainstream – you can make a difference and change it! And perhaps learn how to dominate the market instead of being an average.
- I know that you’re a fan of colored tattoos. Can you talk a bit about the pros and cons of color tattoos?
I am actually a bigger fan of black tattoos. I find color tattoos nice too but I just think they might fade a bit faster and also working with colors is a bit more intriguing and complicated than working with black.
- A few tips on tattoo aftercare?
I really love to use Intenze cleanse to clean my finished work and right after when it’s dry a bit I apply D-lize Pro (second skin). I recommend keeping it on a fresh tattoo for around 4 days; after removing I recommend Hustle Butter CBD deluxe.
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