Myself

Already in school, I firmly decided to become a sculptor when I grow up. It was self-evident for me to choose the upper secondary school subject combinations according to this goal. I held several sculpture exhibitions and was an enthusiastic member of the Kuusankoski Art Society. One of my most interesting summer jobs was a tombstone carving workshop.

Making a good tattoo requires precision, care and a steady hand. Good drawing skills are very useful, as selected images are almost always edited and developed. Almost all professional tattoo artists have some level of artistic training. So do I. I have taken thousands of hours of instruction in sculpture, graphics and painting and drawing. My teachers have been e.g. painters Eero Eirto and Esko Tirronen.

When I got a job in 1977 as a copywriter in an advertising agency out of 3,000 applicants, my artistry shifted to the writing side. Drawing was less important and the texts took a while. I wrote the book “Mailma on mine” about my world travels. In addition to work, I posted for various magazines and radio stations, and television came along as well. The oil paints and chalks dried in the cupboard, but the old love of drawing tormented the mind. A twenty-year career as an advertising agency and journalist was put to rest when I suddenly decided to return to my true passion.

The respected and award-winning tattoo artist Diego Villanello took me as his private student and in a couple of years I got a solid foundation to do this work. Later I worked in his shop. To quote Diego’s words, a professional learns in a few years about tattooing what it takes others ten years to learn by making mistakes. Now I have a business in Tallinn, near the train station at Kopli4.