Today we’d like to introduce you to Eden Gutstein.
Hi Eden, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My great aunt used to tell me, “When you wish for something with all your heart, the universe paves the way for you.” That belief became the rhythm of my heartbeats during my childhood, growing up in Holon, a small town in Israel.
A dreamer by nature, I often lost myself in whimsical worlds of my own creation. Shy and introspective, I found solace in sketching scenes from those dreamy realms. With a pencil as my wand, I felt like a young sorceress painting her emotions. Alongside my sketches, my passion for poetry and theater blossomed, offering another avenue to let my feelings dance.
Ironically, despite my deep-rooted love for drawing, I didn’t always see myself inking people’s skin as a tattoo artist. As a teen, my aspirations leaned towards the stage. But life, as it often does, had a plot twist in store. At 16, I landed in Atlanta for a theater youth program. The city’s vibrancy, its artistic pulse, and the warmth of its people felt like a hug I never knew I needed.
While my initial love for the theater took me there, another passion was budding – the art of tattooing. A casual trip with a friend to get inked set off a curiosity in me: What if I were the artist? Could my sketches find a permanent place on someone’s skin? This curiosity soon became a determination. Tel Aviv’s tattoo parlors became my hunting grounds for an apprenticeship. But rejection echoed everywhere, questioning my age, my skill, and often, my gender.
Then, a serendipitous encounter with a female tattoo shop owner changed everything. Inspired by her journey of self-learning, I dove headfirst into the world of tattooing. Nights melted into mornings as I practiced on synthetic skin, perfected my art, and began inking real humans. Word of mouth turned my hobby into a budding career. But the allure of academia beckoned.
Taking another leap of faith, I applied to SCAD in the U.S, pinning my hopes on a poetry book I penned, “Flower Picker”. Fortune smiled, and Atlanta beckoned once again. SCAD was more than just an institution; it was a crucible, refining my art and introducing me to diverse artistic avenues.
From gallery exhibitions to designing for Criminal Records, my artwork found many admirers in Atlanta. But the siren call of tattooing was irresistible. For me, it wasn’t just about the art; it was about the stories, the laughter, the tears, and the deep bonds formed over hours of inking. Tattooing wasn’t just a job; it was a privilege, an intimate dance between the artist and the canvas. Tattooing is an art of human connection and vulnerability.
To everyone who’s ever trusted me with their stories and their skin, thank you, I greatly appreciate you.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
To be fair, at times the road felt like driving on a cheese grater, and at other times it has been magical. There are many aspects to my journey, so it is a bit hard to separate the challenges of “Eden the person” and “Eden the artist”. On a personal level, I think the initial move to the US was a big cultural adjustment for me, as the Middle East is very different in many ways. Growing up with a different set of circumstances that has affected me in many ways, I had a fear in the back of my mind that people won’t be able to relate to me. When I first moved here, I was very green and didn’t really know what to expect. I have always been one to see the best in people and in every situation. However, people are not always going to be kind to you or have the best intentions, and that’s just a part of life. Certain things along the road made me grow up very fast as I was on my own and didn’t really have many people to fall back on. There were moments where I felt like a small fish in a huge ocean, but I just had to keep swimming like everyone else.
When it comes to school and art opportunities, I believe I did very well as it was something I was very passionate about, and I love learning. I am very grateful for all the people I have met that I was able to learn from, especially some of my professors in college that really shaped me as an artist and as a person. Big shout out to Professor Thomas Burns and Professor Phivi Spyridonos, who are also incredible artists that I have learned so much from.
As for the tattooing industry, I find that it might be difficult to break into at times and find a studio that believes in you and your potential. The word “no” came up along the way, and there have been times I thought of giving up. So, I decided to take a leap of faith to work for myself. Now looking back at everything I have gone through, even some of the unpleasant times, I can see how certain things had to happen in order for me to grow and keep going. I don’t believe in regrets. What is meant for you will find you and you never have to go out of your way to seek it. When you put yourself in a new environment, especially when you are completely on your own and have no one to fall back on, you learn to trust and believe in yourself. Every morning I ask myself: “How much do I believe in myself on a scale of 1-10?” And to be completely honest, you’re not always going to fully trust yourself and your journey, but you can work your way into having faith.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work in different styles and a few different mediums. When it comes to my tattooing, my style has changed and evolved over time. In the very beginning, I started off with creating silly designs that had a sense of humor to them. When I was just starting out, I used the hand poke method and gradually build my way to using a machine. Later on, I mainly focused on botanical work, which I still love to do. I love the organic look of illustrating flowers, fruit and anything that is naturalistic. I have developed a style where I mainly stipple as a form of shading to add dimension to a piece. I have recently started exploring different styles, such as chromatic work that has high contrast with a realistic feel.
When it comes to the artwork I do outside of tattooing, I work as a freelance illustrator as well as having my own illustration brand I started last year called “A Place in Eden”, where I make postcards, greeting cards, stickers, and artwork that is sold in a few different places in Atlanta. My art style has gone through a few different phases. When I first moved to Atlanta, I was really into pressing flowers with botanical illustrations I have made along with my poems. I think I mainly enjoyed the process and the craft behind that. When I was at school, the studies were heavily focused on digital artwork, which I was pretty against at first, but overtime I was able to find my style in that too. A lot of my digital illustrations are inspired by different eras, such as Art Deco, Surrealism, as well as inspiration from the 60’s and 70’s. In September of 2023, I had collaborated with Science Gallery Atlanta that is partnered with Emory to create illustrations for their Justice exhibition. This was a very exciting and interesting project to work on as I had to really think about the ideas of justice and injustice and translate them into visual illustrations. I have had a few more exciting projects I worked on this year. I did a book cover partnered with Imprint Productions Inc. that is yet to be published and have also partnered with FUSmobile, an innovative company for ultrasound devices, to create icons for their app.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I have a few things I really love about Atlanta. The first thing that comes to mind is the nature and trees. I have never seen so many trees in my life. No matter where you are in the city, there is always something beautiful to look at. I also love how diverse Atlanta is. It’s a big city, but at the same time, it is also a very small city. Every neighborhood has such a unique charm that makes it stand out. Little Five Points is very close in proximity to Inman Park Village as well as East Atlanta Village, but they are all unique and different in their own way. It’s also a great city for artists; there is so much inspiration in every corner and so many great people to meet and collaborate with. And lastly, the people in Atlanta are very warm and welcoming. For the most part, people here have a good heart and will be there for you when you need them. There is a big sense of community. As for my least favorite thing about the city, I would have to say the traffic and aggressive drivers, especially driving in West Midtown.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.trampstamp420.com/
- Instagram: @tramp_stamp_420
- Other: https://www.aplaceineden.com/
Image Credits
Photo credits to Syd Hayes and Q. Oliver; Evelynn Woods to the credits section for being the editor of some of the photos
