ARTISTS
TEEMU HAKALA
Teemu Hakala is not your ordinary tattoo artist. In fact, by his own definition,
he would rather be known as an ‘Ink Dealer’. We visited him at his home
based studio in Duncan to get an insight into this unique environment.
How long have you been tattooing? Where did you
get started?
For eleven years now. I started at Tranceformations Tattoos
in Nanaimo as an apprentice under Desiree and Damon. I
worked there for three and a half years before opening a
street shop called Black Label Tattoos in Duncan. I ran that
for three and a half years, working with other artists, before
deciding to move the street shop to my own home based
studio; I’ve been operating here for four years now.
How do most people respond to your home based
studio?
Most of my clients are from other cities and provinces
and search for me through different sources, so they are
prepared to travel to Duncan to be tattooed specifically by
me. The home based studio provides a good vibe for most
of them. My clients are willing to pay a higher price to be
tattooed by me, and therefore find it even better that I am
in a private studio as opposed to a street shop.
What made you decide to move your shop to a home
based studio?
I was getting tired of the ‘walk-ins’, who just wanted cheap
pricing and quick tattoos. I find it less distracting and clients
seem to prefer this type of environment over a street shop.
Now I can carefully pick and choose which tattoos I want
to do and for which type of customer.
We have heard great things about you from numerous people on Vancouver Island, including fellow tattoo artists. What is it that has built you such a strong
following and reputation, and what type of clients do
you generally work with?
I get great feedback from clients in terms of the home based
atmosphere. My personality is down to earth and I’m easy
to get along with. Most of my clients are referred to me or
hear about me through ‘word of mouth’. I generally do
larger, more detailed work, and my clients are dedicated
to starting and completing their piece before moving on.
What do you like most about operating your business
from home?
I have the best of both worlds. I can wake up and simply
walk downstairs to work, or I can take my work to another
location, at any of the numerous tattoo shops on the
island, and work from there for a few days if I choose. It’s
nice to get away from home and get my fix for the shop
environment once in a while.
Teemu’s home based studio is pristine
and provides for an extremely relaxed
atmosphere.
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