TATTOO TALES

On a beautiful New Zealand summer night in Tapua, with the background of the crickets chirping, I had the pleasure of having a nice chat with Yushi.

He’s on a world tour with his beautiful family and for a coincidence(is there such a thing?) we happened to meet at Gordon Toi’s house, sharing insights on his over 20yrs career and Japanese working ethics. ⁣

At the end of the interview I share my 2 cents on how to make the most of this time where we’re globally in lockdown. ⁣

 

I hope you’re all safe and enjoy this talk⁣

Take care :)⁣
⁣

Stef Bastiàn ⁣
⁣

 

Find YUSHI on Instagram 

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Host Stef Bastiàn

  

I’ve been really looking forward to this episode. This year I came back to New Zealand and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to interview a tattooer truly representating the local indigenous culture: the Maori.

Gordon Toi is the man. Over his quarter of a century long career he fought to give Moko back the dignity it deserves, after seeing an involution due to British colonization.

Through the course of this interview I learned about the pride and connection Maori people have with their art forms, their families and their land. Their tattooing can’t be separated from this context, each and every aspect contributes to shape their core identity.
If you want to understand their tattooing, you need to understand their traditions.

 

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did and you bring home a little bit of Gordon and his people’s spirit and passion.

 

 

You can follow Gordon on Instagram and on   Facebook

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Host Stef Bastiàn

 

At the other very end of the world, Auckland New Zealand, I’ve met with Dean for an honest, refreshing chat.

Dean is one of the finest tattooers this country ever produced and he influenced a whole generation with his incredible Japanese large scale work. His competence and talent are surpassed only by his humbleness, which amplifies his achievements and it’s a trait which sets him apart.

I hope you enjoy the experience and the understanding of a man who navigated this business for 25 years at the highest levels. 

You can find Dean on Instagram and at sacredtattooshop.com

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Host Stef Bastiàn

 

 

An honest talk with a dedicated man who found his purpose over a long career and puts his heart in front of every decision he makes. This is Andreas in a nutshell. Committed, inspired, concerned about giving back to the very trade he dedicated his life to and most of all honest, to himself above everything. 

I really enjoyed this afternoon spent with him in his house in Aachen, Germany, surrounded by his impressive artworks collection and his never ending projects. 

Find Andreas on Instagram and The Sinner and The Saint

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Host Stef Bastiàn

 

This time I ended up in Manchester to meet up with local legend Rambo, owner of what has become one of the city’s landmarks, the historical RAMBO’S TATTOO PARLOUR.

Recorded in the pub he owns next door, this talk was another beautiful journey in the history of British tattooing by one of its most iconic and knowledged characters. Rambo describes his upbringing in days where tattooing was very much different, walking us through his tattoo memorabilia collection(one of the most complete and prestigious in the world) and sharing priceless insights from his 35 years long career. 

I apologize for the quality of the audio but this as well is the beauty of being on the road, sometimes you end recording in an English pub and it can’t get more authentic than that :)

 

 

Find Rambo on Instagram 

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Host Stef Bastiàn

For this episode I ended up in Montpellier, France, where I’ve met the colorful American duo Scott Ellis and Omar Edmison. In between croissants and cheap whiskies they shared with me the 50+years of tattooing in between the two of them, where they crossed paths with some legendary characters. 

 

Find Omar and Scott on Instagram

 

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Henk Schiffmacher is the true living legend of Dutch tattooing. Over his 40+ years career he represented the true spirit of this craft, once belonged to pirates, outcasts and rebels, with adventure, humor and dare. In this episode recorded in his house in Amsterdam, Henk brings back tattooing to what it is in its purest form: passion, connection and communication.

 

More about Henk on hankypankytattoo.nl and on Instagram

 

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Host Stef Bastiàn

 

 

Natural born storyteller, living encyclopedia of tattooing history, unique character with a big heart. There couldn’t have been a more appropriate figure to start my podcast with. Lal embodies the true spirit of this new brand series of inspiring and entertaining talks. My afternoon spent with him at his house in London has been one of those moments you treasure and remember.  

 

You can find Lal on Instagram and on newwavetattoo.co.uk

Learn more about Stef’s Mentor Program & Webinars