Interview
Alona Hamova
Alona is a Ukrainian tattoo artist.
She discovered her creative gene at a very early age, however, her talent was pushed aside when she went to university, but she later reconnected with her passion. Since then, Alona has been drawing whenever she can and has attended academic drawing classes.
It took her 6 months before she crafted her first tattoo on real skin — a little snake tattoo which she did for her university friend. Alona’s biggest passion in life is to see her clients happy after each tattoo session.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Since childhood, I’ve been fond of drawing and creating. When I was in primary school, I attended modeling clay classes, sewed dresses for dolls, and received the highest scores in drawing. I spent all my free time creating things. But with time, it changed. I got involved in sports and didn’t have enough time to develop my creativity. Then I joined university to study languages, and my passion for creating and drawing was neglected.
All this changed the day I got my fourth tattoo — a whale on my belly. I asked the tattoo artist about her career path and was really surprised when she said that she couldn’t draw, but learned how to. I was so impressed and inspired that I decided to revive my drawing skills and improve them.”
What inspires you most?
“My biggest inspiration is life itself. Sometimes we think that life will start later, after we’ve achieved our goals. But life is actually happening right now, at this very moment. And I love it the way it is, with all its challenges, difficulties, and happy moments. People who live to the fullest, who are not afraid of being weird, awkward, sad, excited or frustrated, but who are just being themselves, they are the true inspiration in my life.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My only theme is not to be afraid of being yourself. Discover and explore your inner self because every person is a universe. My tattoos act as a step to come closer to your real self and dive into that universe.”
“For my works specifically, the inspiration is nature. I have a love for botanical and zoological motifs. I imagine the subject in its natural environment — in motion, with its perfect imperfections.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is the mix of black solid work with fine line minimalism. I am really fond of contrast — that is why you will often see bold black lines or solid black color next to fine lines.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’m really a nerd when it comes to the quality of my works and making perfectly straight lines. That’s why I’m inspired by artists from whom I can learn how to improve my work. There are some artists whom I just follow for inspiration in designing my Instagram page.”
What is your creative process like?
“Most of the time, I start by making myself a cup of tea. My workplace should be really clean and everything should be in its place. I play music from an old playlist and look for inspiration in botanical books until something comes to mind. Then I start drawing on my iPad. I draw directly on the particular placement of the body. Most of the time it’s legs as I’m a leg tattoo lover.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“For tattoo artists, their main mission is to show the aesthetics of the tattooed body and give people the opportunity to become closer to themselves—to help them discover their true self or find out something new about themselves. The process of getting a tattoo is really intimate and requires you to trust your artist 100%. After going through that pain, something changes internally and you come out with a new tattoo and a new self.”
Instagram: @hamova_alyona
