Charles Huurman
Story: Ákos Bánfalvi
People often expect that Charles Huurman went from art college to tattooing but initially, he never saw art as something different than
a hobby and he started as a bartender. It was the time of the real estate boom in Spain so the banks had no problem in giving him a
mortgage for an apartment. The next three years, he had different jobs - unloading trucks in the port, working as a travel agent, and
various other jobs. When he was 21, the real estate prices were growing like crazy and Charles was able to sell his apartment for
more than double the price he bought it for.
At the age of 21, with more money than he expected, he decided to become a business man. “Looking back at it, I would say ‘business kid’…” he laughs. He opened a real estate agency, a beauty salon, and a computer programing company within 2 years. “And
I got more bank loans to buy cars and houses,” he continues. When the economy finally collapsed, he lost everything and was in a
lot of debt with the banks within a year. “Looking back, I think losing everything was one of the best things that ever happened to
me. I realized I had bought into a lie of our consumer world big time! There was a lot of stress and it wasn’t what I expected,” he
recalls.
The whole time he had the cars, houses, and companies, he was envious of two people in his life - his friend, Willy, and his
cousin, Aissling. Willy left everything to live in his van in the Canary Islands so he can do the only thing he cares about, surfing.
And Aissling lives for dancing, she is a professional dancer. Neither of them have much money. But their eyes light up when they
talk about what they do. They love doing what they like for a living. “So, losing everything made me realize what I wanted - to
live my passion, and that was art. I didn’t want to be a person of the Matrix anymore. Ever since I started following my passion,
everything just feels right,” Charles says.
What did your family and friends think about you getting into the business?
Some of my family still ask me when am I going to get a real job. My friends were delighted, they have been telling me for
years. Now, most of them have a bullshit tattoo from my first years. That’s why it’s only cool being friends with a tattoo artist
once he gets good at it. (Laughs.) Now, most of them also have a cool tattoo. (Laughs.)
What was the first tattoo you ever did?
I shouldn’t have done it… I was very naive and I thought that after a 2 week course, I could tattoo. So this guy hanging out
with us said he wanted a cover up of a tribal on the ribs. I said “I’m a tattoo artist I just did a course…” You can only imagine
the end… I felt so bad about it I paid a tattoo artist to try and fix up my mess. Then I started looking for an apprenticeship.
“I HATE TATTOOING WITH
A TIME LIMIT, IT MAKES
ME FEEL LIKE A MACHINE
AND STRESSES ME IF
THINGS GET DELAYED…”
- CHARLES HUURMAN
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InkSpiredMagazine.com