He uses a pun (“Neouveau” instead of “Nouveau”) to illustrate a very personal style he practices at the ‘Black Ship’ in Barcelona. Let’s find out more!
Lea, how did you realize you wanted to be a tattoo artist in life?
I think it wasn’t a choice but it became an obsession. I’ve loved tattoos since I was a child, when I saw my uncle with a heart with an arrow on his arm which I could not stop looking every time I had the chance to see him with a short sleeve t-shirt, but I couldn’t imagine that I would get to do tattoos.
Did you work several years to reach your current status?
Well, when I was a teenager at the age of fifteen, my taste for tattoos grew to the point that I wanted to get a tattoo even at that early age. Of course, at home they didn’t agree at all and just in that situation they didn’t let me choose when I decided to get a tattoo with a friend who had built himself a machine with a small motor, a pen and some badly placed wires! (laughs)
So what happened?
My mother warned my friend and told him she was going to report him if he tattooed a boy of 15 years old. What she didn’t think about is that I had seen how these machines were made, so that Friday I didn’t go out with my friends.
I went home, I put together what I needed to build a machine like that and when it was ready, in the bathroom I tattooed myself.
At that moment everything started, nothing attracted me more, nothing made me enjoy it so much, and there when all my friends were trying to decide what they would do with their future I was clear about mine – I would be a professional tattooist. And after many years of very hard work I think I can say that I am one, or at least I’m close to it! (laughs)
How come you chose a lily flower as your profile picture on Instagram? And why do you call your work “Neouveau tattoos”?
I adopted a lily flower as my profile symbol because of its meaning. As many of you know the lily flower symbolizes honour and loyalty and I believe that it is very connected to my way of being and acting and to the education that I received at home.
Why do you call your work “Neouveau tattoos”?
The name “Neouveau tattoos” was something that my good friend Daniels Bauti and I decided as we wanted to differentiate a little the type of work we do with a great influence in the Art Nouveau with the label of Neo-Traditional tattoos that is how we have always been defined. I really think it’s stupid and it is unnecessary now I see it that way, as I am someone who hates labels but I flaunting my human condition and I labeled myself!
Beautiful and sensual women, beautifully drawn animals, great use of black ink, ochre to embellish etc. Can we simply say that your tattoos are very elegant?
As I said above, I am a person who is obsessed only with what I really like.
One of these great obsessions was precisely that my tattoos should be elegant.
As I believe that elegance is something very timeless and for a long time I have been looking for the best way for my work to be elegant and timeless, as I believe that tattoos should be precisely that. So I’m very grateful that they are understood and seen in this way.
Where do you get your inspiration before you start drawing your sketches?
I like to watch a documentary or a TV series in the background, but they don’t have to be good! (laughs) Of course my references come from many Art Nouveau artists, such as: Alfons Mucha or Henry de Toulouse-Lautrec. I use a lot of Caravaggio – my favorite painter – to understand the lights, the leftovers and how to use black well in order to highlight the main figures. I try not to contaminate my ideas with other tattoos although of course I have great admiration for many tattoo artists with many of whom I’m lucky enough to share information today.
Tell me about the ‘Black Ship’ in Barcelona. What kind of studio is it?
It’s just great! The general atmosphere at the ‘Black Ship’ (IG: @blackship.bcn) is one of people looking to make their next tattoo to be their best one and all willing to help each other in order to make that happen. I sincerely believe that it is one of the best places to work in Spain today. A studio that requires you to give the best of yourself, but that also gives you a lot of good things.
Do you enjoy working in tattoo conventions?
I’m becoming more selective when it comes to participating at conventions and events as I don’t think they all affect our work in the same way. However I try to be at the ones I think are the most important, such as ‘Gods of Ink’ (IG: @godsofinktattooconvention), an event that is going to be incredible and which I’m sure I’ll enjoy a lot.
And about doing guest spots?
I think it’s something similar, I like to work in the studios of known people or friends, share, laugh, talk about tattoos, draw together etc. It’s important for me to surround myself and be in contact with the people I love. I think that implicitly my tattoos also expand under these premises almost without wanting it. You get to know other places working with your friends and tattooing people who can take your work to other parts of the world. Is there anything cooler than that? My plan is to continue with my work in Barcelona, and I will also make some trips this year to other places to tattoo and take part in some conventions.
And your last famous words are…?
Thanks for everything Grandma.
