Today we’d like to introduce you to Sayana Dotpe.
Hi Sayana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m going on four years of tattooing full-time. My story starts with getting a tattoo apprenticeship offer and me taking it at Ink Paradise. I graduated my apprenticeship and started tattooing at ink paradise Up until Covid 19. During that time, I was devastated with the future of tattooing and my own future. A couple of months before Covid, I decided to get sober because I realized I was cradling my own future in my hands I was cradling my baby that is tattooing. So I really just wanted to become better and become better than my mentor ever will be no offense Erik. But he himself said to me his goal for me is to become better than him one day in the future. Ultimately I just wanted to be an artist I just wanted to make art full-time and the opportunity to become a tattoo artist came my way. During the time between the beginning of COVID-19 in the time right now, I was in between I guess you would say shops. I had knew that I left the birds nest and I was spreading my wings for the first time and it was my decision to make so I knew an apprentice that I used to work with named Ghost yes his name is Ghost and yes he is pale white and also I knew that he was working at this one shop called Black Cloud and Black Cloud took me in thankfully. I had met and learned so much from Black Cloud and I am so thankful every single day for coming to that shop but I knew that I wanted more and I wanted to live and work in Atlanta. Over the time, things changed and I wanted to look for a bigger opportunity so I’m looking on the Instagram pages of Atlanta tattoo shops and I saw Memorial Tattoo was hiring. I thought the least that they could say is no so I sent over my work via email and I also come in with a whole ass physical portfolio because that’s what you do and couple of questions later, I get the job. During that time, I had recently moved into my current apartment that I live in now and it was just the distance between my apartment and the Black Cloud was greater than the distance between my apartment and memorial tattoo. So of course I take the offer and I’ve been working here every cents and I’m coming up on my year with memorial tattoo it’s been really fun getting to know everybody at Memorial Tattoo and they have other guest spotters they come once in A month and they are from other places some of them have asked me if I would like to get a spot at their residence shop and I might just do that this year so that’s my future I don’t know obviously I’m not gonna tell you my future but in the future, I would like to travel and guest spot.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There’s never a smooth road when it comes to your destiny. Sometimes you just know the call to action when you see it. Sometimes you take it sometimes you don’t. I’m not sure if I’m going to even go in depth with my entire life because it was rough obviously I’m a sober tattoo artist well California sober take that with what you will. But yes, I am a recovering alcoholic. I am grateful for tattooing and ultimately for art because that’s always steered me in the right direction time and time again. It has saved my life. It has made me want to change to become better at it and fully a better person. My dad was abusive to my mom and my brother and myself my entire life and when I turned 14, my mom passed away and after that, I started drinking. But as a recovering alcoholic, I have to admit becoming an alcoholic and an aspiring artist have lead me to where I am now. As rough as it was, I am still grateful for all the challenges that have came my way, and I’m grateful to myself for choosing the higher road.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a tattoo artist and artist in general I’ve been tattooing for almost four years now I specialize in large scale black and gray and neotraditional. I would say I’m most proud of this hawk that I did recently and this cranium tiger Tattoo that I did. I would say the thing that sets me apart from others is I am always willing to learn and develop my own style. I’m in the process of doing that I’m sure others honestly are doing the same thing I don’t want to lie to you in my opinion, I feel like every tattoo artist And every artist are their own individual people who have inspiring individual stories. I would say we’re all different and we all set each other apart there is not a needle in the haystack. I’m just an artist especially young artist that’s still developing and I have dreams I have goals I want to set. If I’m not selling this, then I don’t give a fuck. It’s the truth.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support me through getting a tattoo engaging on social media and just getting the word out that I’m in town!
I have collaborated with a couple of artists through sticker printing, mural making, and physical canvas art or digital art. Also, if they’re other tattoo artists then of course collaborating on a tattoo. I haven’t done that yet but would love to! I love collaborating with all different kinds of artists,
Pricing:
- 150/hour
Contact Info:
- Email: sayanatattoos@gmail.com
- Website: memorialtattooatl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sayanatattoos/
