WHEN you walk into Mikey’s Tattoo Shop you will immediately feel relaxed by just meeting this tattoo artist. Mikey Nel a.k.a Mikey Heartless (22) started his career as a tattoo artist in 2014 and has been doing it for two years and seven months. Mikey has been in Alberton for more than a year and he is one artist to keep your eye on.
“From a young age I started drawing. I went with my older brother to get his first tattoo and from there on I started taking an interest in tattooing. I had no clue how it actually worked but I needed to know more.” he said.
Some of his favourite tattoos are the ones on his thighs. “It is a skull with two traditional roses with pearls going off with it with a tattoo machine, a key and scissors. The tattoo machine represents me as an artist, the scissors represent my fiancé of four years, Nisché Smith and the key represents the keys we got tattooed on our wrists for our one-year anniversary.”
He has seven tattoo on his body and did the two on his thighs himself.
“I see tattooing as a way of helping others, like a therapy session, and being able to give them something that no one can take away from them,” said Mikey.
He is a self-taught tattoo artist and so far he has done more than 140 tattoos.
One of his favourite pieces is the first pair of praying hands he did. “I was a bit nervous at first because there’s a lot that can go wrong with hands, but I told the client that he had to give me some time so that I can go through it and make sure I was happy with the design. If I am not comfortable doing a certain tattoo I will tell people. Sometimes putting your ego aside and being honest is best. I mean, a tattoo is forever.”
Mikey also told the RECORD that he does not have a specific tattoo artist that he looks up to, but that he respects all tattoo artists as each one of them as their own style and can show you something new.
He described his art as “unique” and himself as “what you see is what you get”. “I won’t let people define me.” he said.
Mikey said that before he became a tattoo artist he studied fashion design for a year and did a short course in business management, marketing and accounting. “I would still love to bring out my own clothing line,” said Mikey.
Two women in his life inspire him to carry on and better himself each day. “They are my mom and Nisché. They both motivate me and always push me to do my best, they are both strong women and the hardest workers I know ” he said.
Nisché has a huge impact on his life. He said that he is giving it his all for her, to make himself and her proud.
When he is not tattooing, he likes to draw, drift R/C cars and loves gaming with Nisché.
On the question of why should people go to him for their first tattoos, he answered: “Well, first of all I go through everything with them and I will try and explain to them how its going to feel. I try to make them as comfortable as can be. Anybody can stick a piece of flash art on you, period, but it takes a true artist to take your vision and make it come to life…to make it unique…to make it yours. You are unique so your tattoo should be too.”
According to public feedback people are very happy with their tattoos and they keep on going back.
Mikey also has a Facebook page where people can go and view his portfolio of some of the tattoos he has done.
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