Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorenda Thompson and Ren Ren Tattz.
Lorenda and Ren Ren, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was just a troubled teen who escaped life’s hardships brought by circumstances I created, through art. I was working at Petsmart trying to figure out my next step in life. I hated working so hard for a little bit of money. So, I ordered a beginner tattoo kit off eBay. Initially getting into tattooing for the money. After a year of practice on my cousins and $15 specials, I started to fall in love with creating permanent art for people. Having that life long connection.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My tattoos are what I consider turning mistakes into masterpieces. My specialty is cover-ups. I have a unique way of making my pieces look like stickers. In my profession, a lot of people who look like me (dark skin) have the misconception that they can’t get color on their skin. With patience and great equipment and ink, I remind them that that’s a myth. I think my work gives people hope that they’re not just stuck with what they have on their skin and in life.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
I definitely believed it’s changed, speaking in particular with being a black female tattoo artist. Unfair/overpaying booth rent when the male artist’s booth rent was much lower. Dealing with a lot of disrespect from male artists is something I’m used to though. I’ve recently started doing tattoo conventions and we (black artists) tend to get a lot of stares and frowns as if we don’t belong there. I had an issue last year where a convention host didn’t even want to post me on their convention page after paying thousands for three booths. I asked the lady, “how do you decide who gets promoted?” She stated “only certain artists get posted. Funny huh. I can go on and on about these things but instead of pouting, I’m choosing to create my own lane. I just recently opened my own shop and I’ll only be attending “certain” tattoo conventions.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be seen via Instagram (renren_tattz) & my business page on Facebook (Level’d Up Ink).
Contact Info:
- Address: 2651 Cartwright Rd Suite E
Missouri City, TX 77459 - Phone: 346-702-8526
- Email: renrentattz2018@gmail.com
- Instagram: Renren_tattz
- Facebook: Level’d Up Ink
- Twitter: Renren_tattz
Image Credit:
Lorenda Thompson
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