I had my first tattoo done in 1994 or 1995. On a Saturday afternoon, I went with a beer at Jimmy's in Plaka. He was the only one I knew then and his name was identical to the tattoo in Greece. There I chose a tribal bracelet and his daughter Anna - if I remember correctly - gave me then and there my first tattoo. I was feeling great! I immediately fell in love with the process - the rite of the tattoo, the smells, the noise from the tattoo machine, and the light buzz from the endorphins. I knew that by no means would I stick just to one tattoo.
At that time, tattoos were not common at all. In 1996 I was doing my military service, just outside Alexandroupolis. The whole camp up to the commander, they called me Gareth, because a basketball player from PAOK, also had a tribal tattoo. In Alexandroupolis I did my second tattoo at Nico. I was very impressed with his technique and by him - how dedicated he was to the tattoo.
Then I got a tattoo by a guy in a basement somewhere in Grava, which is a bit crappy, but I still love it. Then a friend introduced me to Marenezos, and I had two or three tattoos by him. Even the late Pantelis, who was a body piercer, fill some blacks, without much success, which was reasonable, but I didn't mind at all. I like the imperfections that my old tattoos have.
Because of Karvounidis, I found myself at Eightball Tattoo and hooked up with the people there. Most of the tattoos I do now are with Nikolas and the calm I feel when I get tattooed by him, can't be described with words. It's my relaxation and "psychotherapy". I even felt asleep during one of our sessions! For five years I was often there, getting tattooed and I had a great time. Genuine and beautiful people. Another thing that I also liked is the people I met there. People with similar culture, people we exchange weird stories with, genuine people. I love everyday life in the Eightball basement.
It's been some time now that I've decided the next tattoos that I will get, but I'm in no hurry. I keep them for a "difficult" moment.
At some point I definitely want Vasso and Tassos to tattoo me because I know that I will have a great time with both of them.
Name: Alex Kyriakopoulos.
Occupation: Bar owner of "White Monkey".
Place of Residence: Chalandri.
How many tattoos do you have?
I don’t know. I’ve never count them.
Which artist(s) did your tattoos?
Jimmy’s (probably Anna ), some guy in a basement in Grava, Nico, Barcode, Captain, but most of the mare by Eightball Tattoo (Nikos and Tolis).
Which tattoo is your first and which one was your latest?
My first one is a tribal bracelet and my last one is a solid black piece.
Which tattoo is your favourite and why?
I dig all of them. I have a favourite one depending on the hour, the day and my mood.
Which tattoo artist do you admire?
All the original ones!
Which tattoo style do you like best?
Solid black, old school & Japanese.
Do you regret getting any of your tattoos, if so why?
No.
Have you done a cover up and if so what exactly?
Yes, my first tattoo that was a tribal bracelet and now is total black.
Have tattoos affected your life? If so, in what way?
They’ ve made me badass (hahaha). Seriously now, when I get the blues, getting tattooed always helps me.
Do you have an activity of yours that you would like to mention?
I like taking photos of abandoned places.
The photoshoot took place at White Monkey (Gyftopoulou 6, Chalandri).
Photos by Ino Mei.
