I recently discovered the work of Aritz Olcoz, he is a very talented multi-disciplinary artist from Vitoria, in northern Spain. His art career began in graphic design, which then led to 3d work, and eventually it evolved into tattooing. After trying a variety of techniques and styles throughout his ten year tattoo career, Aritz says he feels most comfortable tattooing in the neo-traditional style of work, as well as neo-Japanese, ornamental, and geometric. With a background in graphic design, his skillset has grown exponentially since the mediums tend to coincide with each other when it comes to his original artwork.

Aritz shares more about his interesting story, “After studying arts in Pamplona, I went to Barcelona to continue my studies as a graphic designer. During the 10 years I lived there, I spent it working in advertising agencies and creating 3D art and motion graphics. My specialty was modeling and texturing objects and characters. The universe had other plans though. I decided to completely change my goals and invest my time to learn something that I always had been fascinated with, tattoos.

I had always made drawings for friends and family for other tattoo artists to tattoo. Eventually those same friends gifted me tattoo machines. I imagine, almost like everyone else's, when you first start, your friends and family are willing to sacrifice a piece of their skin by putting it in your hands, and I can't be more grateful to all of my friends for that. I began working in various studios in Pamplona and Lanzarote. Currently, I am happily residing in Vitoria working at “La Oveja Negra” studio.”

Aritz doesn’t have one favorite medium, he loves them all - painting , design, music, photography, cinema, 3D art - all of them are sources of inspiration for him. He says, “I don't usually spend a lot of time doing nothing. I need to always be entertained in something, I am of the opinion that "knowledge does not take place" and "everything adds up" so I try to be constantly concerned. When I am not tattooing or drawing, I am modeling or designing, whether it be messing around with 3D printers, painting masks, making tshirts, editing or retouching photographs.” There is always work to be done to Aritz.

In his free time, Aritz has dedicated himself to making Japanese masks. He hand paints them, and also makes clothes and accessories. “It is something that I have been developing for a long time, at the moment I am improvising according to the mask. When we were on lockdown, the most positive solution for me was not to be standing still at any time. Take advantage of that time to enrich yourself in any of the things that I mentioned before, drawing, painting, modeling, designing, editing... and thus have your head and hands entertained in something. It served me and continues to do so.”

Follow Aritz on Instagram and shop his masks and apparel 9villans here.