“I love being able to work with clients in creating designs that they’ll love and wear for the rest of their lives," Byron tells us in this interview. We find out more about his life in the tattoo industry.

Byron is a Tattoo Artist at WildFire, one of Cape Town’s popular tattoo parlours. He gave us a look into his career so we could learn more about the day-to-day life of a tattooist.

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Growing up, Byron never thought that he would work as a tattoo artist. He always loved art, he loved getting tattooed himself and hung around friends who were tattoo artists, but he never had the desire to follow a career in the tattoo industry. “For as long as I can remember, during my school years, I had been drawing in the margins of my test books and homework assignments. My teachers always hated that”, Byron recalls. “Maybe in my own way I was doing my own kind of homework.”

“Mates of mine who tattooed always recognised that I had a talent for art, and a number of them had spoken to me about the industry.” Yet, it was Byron’s mother who pushed him to follow a career in tattooing. “Whenever I saw her she would always bring it up, and I guess it eventually sunk in that tattooing could be something that I could do for the rest of my life if I was willing to make the sacrifices.”

Tattoo artists are responsible for creating tattoos based on the client’s request. While many tattoo artists will have hundreds of artworks for clients to choose from, most will also create custom tattoos on request. Once the tattoo has been applied, it is the role of the tattoo artist to also educate the client about the proper aftercare of the tattoo.

When we asked Byron what he loves most about his job, he had this to share: “I love being able to work with clients in creating designs that they’ll love and wear for the rest of their lives.” Byron also loves the tradition behind tattoos. “They have been around way before me, and will be around once I’m gone.”

“I love that tattoos can help people, that they can tell stories and mark journeys, that they’re a looking glass for people to tell who they are and what they’re about, that they are body modifications for both kings and thieves to wear and that they have a tradition,” Byron says, “What I love the most about tattoos is that there is no “roof”. You will never climb the ladder to be at the top one day. Tattoos are about expression, and no matter how long you are an artist, you will always learn and grow and be able to be inspired and to push yourself, and that’s a concept that really excites and motivates me.”

Byron advises those trying to get into this line of work to start off with an apprenticeship. “Tattooing is a tough trade to get into, what [tattoo artists] do is really important - people are not paper and there is no eraser - your designs are going to last a lifetime.” Because of this, you need to treat the profession with honour and respect, he says.

But be vigilant, he adds. Do not fall prey to overnight “tattoo schools or academies”. If anyone claims that they can teach you to tattoo in a week, they are not to be trusted. If you’re serious about tattooing, you will look for someone who will teach you the proper skills.

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