Today we’d like to introduce you to Aleah Lauren.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was always interested in art as a child. It was the only thing I could remember doing every moment I could. I became interested in tattooing at the age of 8 when my best friend Cierra told me that her uncle was a tattoo artist. I was instantly captured by the idea of being a tattoo artist because I had never heard that you could permanently put art onto someone’s body before. I bought my first tattoo machine (it was a tattoo kit that should have only been used on practice skin) when I was 14yrs old practicing on the older friends. I had as well as my very brave and trusting family members. I still can’t believe they trusted a child to tattoo them, but I will always be forever grateful for that constant support. From the ages of 16-18, I had gone through three different apprenticeships, which lasted from as short as a month to my longest being a year. I stopped my last apprenticeship when I was 19 to go to college and that’s where I realized that not only did I make a mistake in stopping my passion but that I couldn’t settle for not progressing in that craft. I did not want to tattoo anyone anymore until I felt like I was a better artist. I moved to Los Angeles where I was unsuccessful in landing an apprenticeship.
I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a hot second where I tried to get apprenticeship as well but had to stop looking once I found out I would be moving to Austin, TX. I couldn’t stop pursuing my dream and I knew Austin would be the place where I could focus in and get this career started. I emailed many artists before moving out to Austin and got turned down by many. I emailed Andres Acosta, who was my first choice as an artist that I would have loved to work under and I honestly thought he would be the last person actually to get back to me. Much to my surprise, I got an email back from him that day, and he saw potential in my artwork, I just had to prove myself that I wanted this apprenticeship as much as I said I did. I got through a year of just watching him a tattoo, studying his technique and watching his every move at the tattoo studio. After that first year, I started doing free tattoos, slowly built up my portfolio and was lucky enough to have people trust me to tattoo them. It’s almost been a year since my apprenticeship has ended, but I will never stop being a student to my craft. I love my job and will forever be grateful for the all the people who have played a role in getting me where I am at today.
Please tell us about your art.
I don’t want to put myself in a box and say I am a tattoo artist. I am an artist, but my primary focus right now is pursuing my career in the tattoo community. When I have some free time, I enjoy drawing with graphite in my Moleskine, photography and occasionally pushing some oil paint around. As a tattoo artist, I provide a service for my clients, but what they are wanting and the fact that they would choose me to put something on them permanently, weighs heavily on me. I put so much love and energy into each client’s piece. Almost everyone has a reason or meaning behind what they are wanting, and I want to be able to portray that importance in every piece.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Success for me is making forward progress constantly, making my own goals and reaching them. Everyone’s journey is different, so I don’t think to compare my path with someone else in my industry means that what I am doing is any less successful. I am happy where I am, and will always be, as long as I continue to push myself and see the progression in my craft.
Contact Info:
- Email: iyamaleah@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/iyamaleah
- Facebook: facebook.com/aleahlaurenart
Image Credit:
Aleah Lauren
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