HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA OF BECOMING A TATTOO ARTIST?
Since I was little, I've always enjoyed drawing, painting, and being creative. When I was around 20 years old, I got the opportunity to work at a tattoo studio tattoo studio owned by a friend of mine.
In the beginning, I started with piercing, and eventually, I got the chance to try more and more tattooing. Then I began tattooing while studying.
EDUCATION IN AQUACULTURE AND ILLUSTRATION
I studied aquaculture for 5 years. Aquaculture involves cultivating organisms in freshwater or saltwater. This includes fish farming, shellfish farming, and cultivation of algae.
I did this just to make mom and dad happy.
I preferred to study illustration, but they thought it would be difficult to find a job in that field.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TATTOO ON YOURSELF?
This is the one I have on my leg. It consists of 2 spiders and the universe in the middle. It's a traditional pattern from Mapuche. (Mapuche is a collective term for several closely related indigenous peoples in Chile, including pikunche, williche, pewenche, besides mapuche, which is the largest among them.
The pattern mainly comes from weaving, and the spider is supposed to teach us, inspire us, and protect us from negative forces. It means the most to me.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT?
It reminds me of my background and where I come from. It was done by a good friend of mine here in Oslo, and it was done in a traditional way. It wasn't done with a machine but with something called tatau. It involves a stick with a thorn on it, dipped in ink. Then you tap on it to penetrate the skin with the ink, and it took about 3 hours.
WHICH TATTOO ARE YOU LEAST SATISFIED WITH ON YOURSELF?
That's the one I have on my arm. I started with two small colored koi fish when I was 16. After an unsuccessful attempt to cover it up, I chose to just black it out more. The plan is to "black out" the entire arm in the future.
WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?
Working with different types of clients and creating designs based on their preferences. I love drawing, and when I'm sitting and tattooing, it's my form of meditation. In that moment, everything is just about that tattoo and doing a good job.
WEIRDEST REQUESTS YOU'VE RECEIVED?
There have surely been many strange requests over the years, but now, having been in the tattooing business for over 20 years, nothing is strange to me anymore. I have become immune to most things.
If you're excited about getting a tattoo from Manu, you can send us your inquiry here
