Lately, Guillaume has been working only during guest spots and creating increasingly beautiful tattoos suspended between abstraction and reality. It’s time to learn more about him…
Hi Guillaume, have you always been a tattoo artist or did you find your way through life’s bizarre paths?
I’ve always had a kind of attraction for tattooed people, but it all clicked around the age of 22 or 23, when I was a technician in the entertainment industry. It quickly became an obsession, and I had to accumulate a lot of knowledge on the subject of tattoos.
Do you remember exactly how you got started?
At first I was looking for information on techniques, hygiene and the history of tattooing through books and magazines, or by getting tattooed. I started attending conventions, starting with London, to watch the artists I loved, work for days on end, and discuss with them. Later, a few tattoo artists allowed me to observe sessions on a regular basis, which gave me an insight into the human side of the act. It took me 4 years to learn how to draw in a way that was suitable for tattooing, to take my first steps and to start out in a shop as a young tattooist.
How would you describe your style which is truly unique and very complex?
I’s a game of balance and perceptions between abstraction and reality, revealing itself to the viewer as he or she observes it, with certain details appearing and disappearing depending on the distance from which they are read. It’s also a balance between the hardness of the wefts, which demand rigor and precision, and the softness of the watercolor movement, which develop in a free hand according to the body, the moment and the emotions.
It’s a mix of dualities bordering the paradox in which some people can recognize themselves.
Is the “Smash” you have as part of your stage name also a way of summarizing your art? Like something that catches the eye?
I’d love to tell you that this name is a poetic vision, but it’s not. It’s just the name I had on social networks when I started tattooing. It comes from the name of a team of mates, we lived together and rode everything we could find (BMX, MTB, Snowboard, Wake etc.), it was a real family. Chance had its way.
Do you think you’ve had important mentors in the world of tattooing or did it all depend on your eye, your mind and your hands as an artist?
I didn’t have a master of apprenticeship, and I don’t really know if I could have conformed to an apprenticeship anyway (I need to figure things out by myself). For me, Jack Ribeiro (IG: @byjackribeiro) and Ivana Belakova (IG: @ivanatattooart) acted as sporadic mentors, encouraging me to prioritize artistic and personal development.
I haven’t thanked them enough for all they’ve given me. I soon teamed up with Emilie (IG: @belzebiche), with whom I later opened «L’Imaginarium», and we worked side by side for several years, our research were both shared and personal. We were both obsessed with tattooing, a lot of discussion, exchanges and trials led us to evolve together quickly.
So many other artists, whether tattoo artists, painters or graphic designers, have influenced my art and my way of seeing without even having met them.
Can you tell me about your current workplace?
I’m working exclusively in guest at the moment, and I always prefer the calm, hushed atmosphere of private studios, where there’s generally less traffic and distractions to devote yourself fully to the moment. I’ll be back on the road after a break, and will share the dates and locations on my networks.
Do you have any tattoo conventions booked for after the summer or can you share where you will be in 2025?
I don’t have any conventions planned at the moment, as I only recently got back on the road, so I haven’t asked myself the question yet. For the moment I prefer to take the time to rediscover tattoo conventions as a visitor.
And your last famous words are… ?
As a tattoo artist, try to give back to the tattoo world as much as it gives you.
