Stephen wants aliens to find his tattoos

"I always tell people that when the world goes to shit — everyone is dead — and the aliens come to earth they’re going to find my tattoos on people." Stephen’s a designer turned artist, where he worked at agencies and startups for over a decade before teaching himself to tattoo. For him, tattooing gives him a freedom that working in design never did. “Now I’m getting to a place where I think about my work as something I create — I need to give the clients something that they want, but also something I’m proud of.”

I love to make tattoos that you can see from 20 feet away.

Being formally trained as a designer, this freedom is tough to balance, “I have friends who are trained artists and start tattooing and have a voice — style is something for me that I think about a lot. I wouldn’t say it’s a struggle, but I have a wide array of interests for better or worse.” Stephen’s style is thick and bold, reminiscent of Traditional American style, but with a modern, playful take on it, “I love to make tattoos that you can see from 20 feet away”. For Stephen, tattooing is all about permanence, “In the ten years I was working as a designer, not even 1% of that is still around.”

You can bet that when aliens come, they’re going to find one of his tattoos. @wonkycube’s books are open. You’ll find him at @yarrow.studio in Brooklyn.

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