This talented artist does not deny that she would like to be a model as a hobby, but at the moment she is totally focused on tattooing and painting. Let’s get to know her better.
How did it happen that you became a tattoo artist in your life?
It just happened! I’ve been drawing my whole life, as long as I can remember myself. And I was always fond of tattoos. At some point, I knew that I would have them, but I would never imagine that would be my occupation.
How did this adventure of yours begin?
The first time I’ve tried a tattoo machine was at the age of 17, but that was just for fun, like a hobby. I was studying architecture, my initial plan was to design buildings. But as you can see, I don’t have any buildings… I’m happy it didn’t work out. I like where I am and what I am doing.
Where did your nickname Yukler Boo come from?
Yukler is a nickname my friends gave me when I was 13. It was a wordplay with éclair. For a long time, my Instagram nick was “yukler_botvinnik” (which is my surname). But at some point, I’ve shortened it to “boo”.
I associate it with movies and cartoons, when you are trying to scare someone, but as a joke, not seriously. So it catched on!
When did you discover that both the freehand technique and the use of Black-n-Grey fit perfectly with your vision of tattoo art?
I’ve experimented with techniques for the last 10 years. I was fond of colored NeoTrad and for some time I thought I’ve found my niche. Only color, only contouring. But that was before I noticed, what I continued sketching on paper with a pencil. So I’ve tried to apply that vision from paper to skin.
That is how I came back to black-and-white, and only 3 years ago I became fully freehand. I like it when a tattoo becomes part of the body anatomy and not just a separated art piece. Freehand allows me to unite illustration with body proportions, that’s how I feel I’m creating something unique for every person.
You are also a professional painter, right? Who are the most important painters on whom your artistic vision has been formed?
Well, I’m not professional, I’m still learning… (smiles) In the future I want to see myself as a painter and I want to paint more. I also want to emphasize that art cannot exist separately from the individual. I admire most artists not only for their works, but also for their personalities.
I talk of Alphonse Mucha, Zdzisław Beksiński, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Caravaggio.
What has been the most important lesson you have learnt so far being a pro tattoo artist? And the mistake you try to avoid in your work?
I’ve learned that Traditional painting and tattoos are related. If you are not sure about the tattoo you are working on, try to recreate that on paper 1, 2, 40 times. Don’t spare the paper. And for sure, the team helps to grow.
What is your relationship with tattoo conventions?
I love conventions! For sure European are different from Belarussian and Ukrainian ones. I’ve participated myself several times, but only in Polish conventions. Last year I visited the ‘Gods of Ink’ (IG: @godsofinktattooconvention) in Frankfurt and that was sooo cool.
I would really like to participate. As a major advantage – you can finally meet people you follow (not all show themselves on their Instagram profiles), see their work real time, make connections, find new friends, meet the old ones. I think that’s what conventions are for.
Can you tell me a memorable episode that happened to you both at a Polish convention and at one abroad?
I have a story to tell, on one of the conventions I took a picture with a tattoo artist, that I really admired and followed for a long time. I posted a story about it and tagged him. In the next few hours, he responded and said that it wasn’t him in the picture, but his colleague from the same box. I’ve mixed them up! (laughs) I apologized, he reacted totally fine, we both smiled in the end. So, on the next day I was back to his box and took a new picture, this time with him.
Can you describe to me ‘Oni Warsaw’, aka the tattoo studio you own? It seems that six other permanent tattoo artists work there with you, don’t they?
‘Oni’ (IG: @oni.warsaw) comes from the Japanese word ‘demons’, and in polish it means ‘group of people’. That’s how we came up with the name idea for our small studio in Warsaw three years ago. At that same time, I’ve just moved to Poland and didn’t know many people.
Since then, we’ve managed to recruit a great team with senior masters as well as many studio friends.
Some of them are photographers, some tailors and there is people cooking, painting, sculpting masks, barbering. I would say that now studio is not only about work, it’s about community.
If you were offered to be a model one day, would you accept or would you stick to tattoo art and painting?
I will not let go of painting, that is my calling. But I would try modelling as a hobby.
And your last famous words are… ?
I feel like, whatever you do in life, it should come from love or art. And everything you do in life should be for art and love.
