Tattooing is a life-altering experience for Azarja van der Veen, both personally and professionally — once she got a taste of it, she never looked back. Fresh out of high school she received a small tattoo on her leg, instantly fell in love and found her calling, van der Veen says.
“I went back a month to the day later to get a four-hour piece on my back. Tattoos became an all consuming presence in my life,” she says. “I worked at a shop, got tattooed, went to conventions, subscribed to every tattoo magazine and made friends with as many tattooers as I could (to) learn as much about the industry as possible.”
Tattoo artist Scotty Lowe once told her to remember people pay not only for a tattoo, but also an experience. And “All the energy in the room while you’re tattooing goes into the piece and lives there forever,” offered Shotsie Gorman.
Those words of advice have figured prominently in her mind and heart throughout her career. Obviously the art comes first, the experience is a close second.
She says if she does her job right the energy of the art is visible, and the spirit of the person wearing it comes through. The tattoo speaks for itself, whether or not the viewer actually knows its true meaning.
“When you get tattooed it’s just me, you and hospital grade sterilizers. We bond pretty quickly. My clients unload the stress they’re carrying. It’s a safe place where they can vent about how frustrating working from home has been, grieve the loved one they recently lost or celebrate their upcoming wedding. I get to be part of all of that,” van der Veen says.
“They did something not everyone is courageous enough to do, and should be extremely proud of themselves.”
These days the tattooer is known mostly for her fine line work; as well as watercolor, sketch, geometric (and traditional) tattoos. Florals remain her first love. “I’m Dutch and a landscaper’s daughter, so flowers are a constant. I love anything organic. A number of my own tattoos feature flowers prominently.”
There are a million reasons for wanting tattoos, according to van der Veen. Marking important events, expressing individuality and/or commemorating special people. No matter the significance — many like the aesthetic and the sense. “I prefer the way my skin looks with color, find tattoos phenomenally empowering and the main reason I became a tattooer, I wanted to make people feel as good as I felt,” she says of how comfortable she is in her own skin. “Every time I get a new tattoo I feel more like the person I’m supposed to be.”
Before she started getting inked, van der Veen struggled with self-image and body acceptance. Tattoos made her feel like a superhero. “Suddenly I didn’t care what anyone else (thought) of me. They made me happy visually and emotionally. As silly as it sounds, a little ink under the skin goes a long way in your brain.”
On the professional side, “Becoming a tattooer is the best decision I’ve ever made,” she adds. “I love going to work every day; made lifelong friends, traveled extensively, hosted multiple TV shows, sat front row at NYC fashion week and have been on the cover of over a dozen magazines. Tattooing made it all possible, and I am incredibly grateful it found me.”
Some of the tattooer’s own personal pieces include her grandfather’s World War II army portrait, her brother’s favorite childhood stuffed animal and a wheel of gouda cheese on her arm, in honor of her Dutch heritage. “These tattoos make me who I am, people and things that have most influenced me,” says van der Veen, adding someone can glance in her direction and already have an idea of who she is /where she came from.
And she loves the universality of tattoos — “regardless of skin color, religion, sexual orientation, etc; we’re all in it together. Everyone with a sleeve knows what it took to get it,” she says, “and those inked in a similar area or style there is respect and common ground.”
Someone approached van der Veen this summer about their shared taste in tattoos: both had Marilyn Monroe portraits, a straight razor and artwork by David Bolt. They talked about the artists who inked them, how much certain spots hurt, and how they both love the art of a tattoo. “Total strangers, instantly bonding on a beach in New Jersey; that’s the power of tattooing,” she says.
“I started a kid barely knew who I was and ended up a confident woman, directly because of tattooing,” adds van der Veen. “Along the way I picked up tattoos that remind me of those journeys, people and phases. I literally cannot imagine my life without tattooing.”
To learn more, follow @AzarjaTattoo on Instagram or visit www.AzarjavanderVeen.com.
