Baris Yesilbas

New York based Tattoo Artist

People always ask me how I started doing tattoos and as far as I know my story is the most unique one I’ve ever heard.

I’ve always loved being in a tattoo parlour but working in it also gave me a different perspective on life. I graduated from one of the top highschools in my country and went straight to the university, because that’s what you’ve got to do to get a decent job. I didn’t have a desire to be a tattoo artist, I just wanted to be an architect like my dad, but my mom insisted that I should study economics so that’s what I did. I dropped out my senior year, went to Istanbul and started working in a courier delivery services company as a consultant. After 3 months, I got fired which I still don’t know why.

After this, things started to develop; my tattoo artist asked me if I wanted a job and said that I could work at his parlour until I find a job. My family didn’t want me to work in a tattoo parlour because they worked so hard for my education. The moment that changed my entire life was when I said yes to my tattoo artist, that I’d be his apprentice and do whatever I have to do to become a tattoo artist. To date, this is the greatest risk I took in my life because I didn’t know if I was going to succeed in this path. After I did my first tattoo, I realized that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I feel like I’m being myself, complete when doing tattoos because all of my tattoos are my designs inspired by the people that will carry them for the rest of their lives.

This decision i made take me to the places i couldnt even imagine. After making a name for myself in Turkey i decided to move to New York and started a new chapter in my life, a chapter that i dreamt of for a long time.

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