Today, we have a special guest. He is cheerful, charismatic, and his tattoos infused with witty humor are known by all fans of non-traditional tattooing. He is part of the NeotradRussia community and a member of the ProTeam Druid. He is a multiple winner and judge at conventions. He's the one who once burst into the world of non-traditional tattooing with a smile and he's here to stay! Meet - Pavel Turbo!
What did you do before tattooing? Why did you decide to become a tattoo artist?
- Before tattooing, I did many things (laughs). I studied at two different universities, of course one after the other. I was supposed to become a shipbuilder first, then an engineer in the field of cargo transportation. In the end, neither worked out. I worked as a seller of bad internet, unloaded massive pipes from steamers in the port of St. Petersburg, and did interior finishes with my family crew.
How did your career as a tattoo artist start?
- It all began in late 2011. There was a casual gathering then, it was the time when subcultures in the CIS region were flourishing. Following the recommendations of the guys from the company, I ended up with a well-respected tattoo artist at the time. I came to get an old-school sailing ship on my shoulder.
And there I saw that this was not just a strange hobby for non-formals, but a serious and real profession!
He had so many different unknown things and devices to me, big prints of old-school American pictures hung on the walls. There were whole books of sketches from old tattoo artists, and the studio smelled of Dettol (used to transfer sketches to skin).
After this acquaintance, I realized that this is what I wanted to do! And I was lucky, the master agreed to help me with this. He gathered my first equipment and showed me how and what to use. In the end, I dropped out of university in the last year, to dedicate all my time and money to the new profession. But that was already two years later.
Judging from your portfolio, it seems like you took a course in the traditional style almost immediately. Why did you choose this style?
- Yes, it may seem that way, but in reality, I was originally really into traditional American tattoos, and still am. All these old flash sets on yellow paper, that was the coolest thing I had ever seen! I'm not even sure if the neo-traditional style existed at the time in the form that we know it now.
And then, with the development of Instagram and other social media, I started seeing more and more new techniques in tattoos, all these cool styles from far-off countries. That's when I realized that neo-traditional is just an endless path for development. And since then, I've been following it. Although it turned out to be more tricky than I thought (laughs).
What unique features of your tattoos do you highlight yourself?
- I'd like to say that my style is recognizable. But it's not for me to judge, it requires an outside perspective. I've always made a priority of quality and cleanliness of work, so that when you look at the tattoo, your teeth shake from how smooth and tight it is (laughs).
And I do many strange themes. I think this also sets me apart. Like pigeons with human hands and a hairy chest. Or a sleeve made of chiseled bananas relaxing in the setting sun.
Do you know that you, like other neo-traditional tattoo artists, have a lot of dinosaurs in your portfolio? Can you reveal the secret why they are so popular among neo-traditional tattoo artists?
- I thought everyone had a lot of Japanese masks or women with beads (laughs). And about dinosaurs - it seems to me that everyone just loves dinosaurs, they are cool. It's such a cool part of pop culture that nobody even invented, they actually existed!
For me, it was like this: I once made a dinosaur with a funny caption "it was better before", and after that, people started coming to me for dinosaurs. Some guys create their "business cards" like that. Making whole series of similar tattoos with their most popular theme. I can't do that (smiles).
Would you say that tattoos are art, work, or something else for you?
- I would say that it's a craft. It involves not only skin piercing or iPad drawing, but also communication skills, a bit of being a photographer, and bits of five different specialties.
Tattoos encompass all aspects of my life. My entire circle of communication is connected to tattoos, and almost all of my social media subscriptions are tattoo artists or drawers. Therefore, it's definitely more than just work.
Work is usually something we do out of necessity or even when we don't feel like it, but have to. I am free from that. I always enjoy tattooing.
Who of the tattooists do you actively follow, whom do you consider an example for yourself, and who is in your personal top?
- That's a tough question. You could go to my Instagram subscriptions and scroll through any 20 people there - they'll all be in the top (laughs).
But if you still need to single out someone... then I can single out our Adept Tattoo Collective group. At the peak of its power, it has absorbed such great artists that it's hard to imagine such a concentration in one place. Wherever you poke, a champion sits!
You have constant jokes on Instagram, a comical look, Svetlana Turbinova, and much more. Is this your promotion strategy or impulsive moments of your soul?
- Well, that's just who I am in real life. I don't have any promotion strategy (laughs). When I come up with a joke, I'm always happy to share it. Haven't been in the mood for jokes lately, to be honest. But I think there's still time for them to come back.
How do you assess your popularity? And why do you think clients choose you?
- I think clients choose me based on my portfolio and my approach to communication. I hope it's like that (laughs).
I don't want them to come to me because they hear my name often, or because my reels are popular. I always wanted to be loved for my skills, not for an image I created.
You were part of the NeotradRussia art group and in a sponsorship program of Druid. Can you tell me what it gave you and how important it is for a contemporary artist to participate in similar groups?
- Being part of the NeotradRussia group was a great experience for exchanging experiences and learning from others. At one point, a tattoo artist decided to gather all neo-traditional artists in one Instagram account, and eventually, it grew into offline communication. The core of the style was gathered in our studio in St. Petersburg, and we even traveled to conventions together under the common "Neotradrasha" flag. Everyone was very strong and had their own unique style, and it was always possible to learn something from each other, so we all grew much faster. Now, many of us are no longer in Russia, including myself.
The sponsorship programs, like Druid, are mostly for the benefit of the sponsors rather than the tattoo artists. Although I only interacted with the ones whose products I already used. I participated in testing pre-production tattoo machines from a well-known brand, and I really liked them. Also with Druid, I really love their butter with the smell of chewing gum, I still only use it.
You have extensive experience participating in conventions. You were even part of the jury at TattooMo in 2019. Tell us about your experience and results. Where have you been, where will you be, what are your plans?
- Tattoo conventions are a very interesting thing. On one hand, it's a way to show live what you're capable of without photoshops and filters. On the other hand, it's certainly a very subjective story and a lottery. The winners are those who appeal to the members of the jury, there is a strong human factor there.
My first convention was TattooMo in Voronezh. It was very exciting and unusual. I wasn't even sure of myself as a tattoo artist at the time. But here I felt among my own.
Then I went there regularly, I liked the organization and the new perspective on the industry. With each new festival, I grew, but seeing the level of those guys who win - I understood that I need to jump even higher.
In the early years of participating, it was exciting, there was a competitive spirit. Now that's been weakened in me, but when I got my first plaques, it was a very bright feeling of victory and achieving a goal or something.
I met many of my cool colleagues that I later worked with in a team by competing at festivals. At the 2018 TattooMo convention, I gathered all my previous experience and won four awards in three days. After that, my thirst for competition was quenched, and since then I have focused on growing and developing my style.
The next year I was invited to be a part of the festival's jury. It was very nice, since that was where I started. After several years of participating in award-winning races, I finally got to see the convention from the other side. I can say that it is very difficult to objectively evaluate the work of good tattoo artists, since all members of the jury have their own tastes. Especially if two or three works are equally good in terms of technique! After that, I definitely realized that if you didn't win an award, it doesn't mean you didn't try your best, you just may not have fit into the jury's taste preferences. That's the way competition works.
I still participate in festivals, but now for the sake of communication and new acquaintances. For the atmosphere of the holiday and the desire to be among the many talented tattoo artists from different parts of the world.
Can't help but ask, how have the events of recent years affected you?
- Well, the pandemic has almost not changed my life at all. But the war is a completely different matter. It's a huge tragedy that divided everyone into "ours" and "yours". Given that some of our family lives in Kiev, the war also divided them. In April 2022, I left the country along with some of my friends and colleagues. Now everyone is learning to live in a new environment, many are starting everything from scratch. Some have already found a new place, others are still thinking where to move. Now I'm a neo-traditional tattooist from Istanbul.
Do you think the tattoo industry in Russia will change in light of these events? And what do you think awaits it in the near future?
I think any industry will be heavily affected in Russia, considering these events. I think the most talented people will keep their positions, but those who are just starting out or are at a middle level will see a decrease in work. But I hope that all of this will end as soon as possible, ideally today.
And of course, the most relevant question at the moment is your plans for the future.
- I would like to continue to grow as a professional and be closer to my family, in safety. And I really hope to find a new home, but it's difficult to speculate. Plans for the future are a very vague story these days. After all, in 2020 masks and quarantine seemed like something terrible. And it couldn't get any worse (laughs).
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