Conversations with Antonio Boston Meneghin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Boston Meneghin.

Hi Antonio Boston, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Antonio, and I’m originally from Bassano del Grappa, a beautiful town at the foot of the mountains in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Today, I live in Berlin, where I work as a tattoo artist.

I’ve been fascinated by body modifications since I was young, especially by what drives people to modify their bodies as a way of expressing their identity and distinguishing themselves from others. That curiosity initially brought me into the tattoo world as a client.

I originally studied to become a chef. After finishing my studies, I decided to invest my scholarship in my first major tattoo, something that was important to me both in terms of its size and its artistic and aesthetic value. At the time, I was working as a chef and a barista, but I also started spending time at Sparkley Tattoo, where I would sit and watch Andrea work. Eventually, I began tattooing myself and became a resident artist at the studio. That experience was essential in introducing me to tattoo culture and helping me develop my artistic interests.

It took several years before I could dedicate myself entirely to tattooing. In the meantime, I worked in different fields, including hospitality, bars, and retail. As my client base grew, I gradually reduced my other jobs until, in the spring of 2019, I finally gave up my weekend shifts at the bar to focus entirely on tattooing.

Berlin had always fascinated me. Coming from a smaller town, I was drawn to its underground culture and the feeling that people were freer to express themselves without worrying so much about other people’s judgment. It was also an important destination for the blackwork tattoo community, which I felt connected to and wanted to explore further.

Moving to Berlin and starting to work at DerGrimm Tattoo was a turning point. I arrived from Italy feeling that I had already reached a decent level, but working alongside such talented artists made me realize how much I still had to learn.

It was during some of the more difficult periods, when work was slow, that I started asking myself how I could create something more personal and recognizable. I began experimenting, studying, and questioning my own approach, gradually searching for an artistic direction that truly felt like mine.

Looking back, my journey has been far from linear. I’ve changed directions, worked different jobs, and taken time to find my way. I’m happy that I kept going and that I can now make a living doing something that feels so close to who I am.

There’s a funny coincidence in my life: many of my biggest decisions have happened in the spring. For some reason, spring has always been the season of big decisions for me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think one of the biggest challenges of working in a creative field is uncertainty. It’s not always easy to know how things will turn out, especially when you’re trying to build something personal and establish your own professional identity.

For me, one of the biggest sacrifices was time. For many years, I tried to balance work with finding opportunities to learn and improve as a tattoo artist. I often worked early in the morning or late into the evening so I could spend my afternoons at the studio, observing other artists, studying, and trying to grow. It was a demanding period, but I knew it was the way to gradually build the life I wanted.

Moving to Berlin brought another challenge: starting over in a new city, building relationships, and finding my place in a very stimulating professional environment. Working alongside artists I admired was incredibly valuable, but it also sometimes made me question my abilities. I wondered whether I was good enough, whether my work had enough value, and whether I deserved to be there.

My response to those doubts was to keep studying, observing, and questioning myself. Whenever I went home feeling that I wasn’t good enough yet, I’d pick up my backpack and look for another opportunity to learn something new. I didn’t always have the answers, but I could always try to get better.

I remember a close friend often telling me that sometimes, when everything seems to be going wrong, those are the moments when you’re growing the most. Over time, I’ve come to understand how true those words are. Looking back, I can see how even the most difficult periods helped bring me to where I am today.

I wouldn’t want to describe my journey as a story of hardship or sacrifice that people should feel sorry for. I’ve given a lot, but I’ve also received a lot. I’m grateful to the friends who supported me and to the courage I found to believe in this path, even when I had no guarantees.

For many years, I worked in different fields, often juggling several jobs at once, to build the possibility of making a living from my art. It was tiring, but I don’t see it as something to complain about. Being able to dedicate your life to something you believe in is a privilege, and I’m aware of how fortunate I’ve been.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Today, I describe my style as Engraving and Stained Glass Tattoo. It’s a name I chose to describe the kind of work I do, bringing together two artistic languages that feel particularly close to my sensibilities. I don’t think I’ve invented something entirely new, but I believe this description captures the direction I’m pursuing and the way I’m combining different elements to create something that feels like my own.

It’s the result of an almost obsessive search I’ve been pursuing since moving to Berlin. Over the years, I’ve experimented with different visual languages, always looking for something that felt closer to who I am. Engraving, bold lines, and ornamental decorations reminiscent of seals and architectural structures are all elements I’ve explored at different stages of my journey.

Stained glass windows fascinated me from the very beginning, but for a long time, I didn’t feel technically ready to approach them in the way I wanted. Through years of studying and experimenting, I gradually began to understand how to combine these elements into a coherent visual language, drawing inspiration from engraving, stained glass, architecture, and even armor.

What I try to create today is a structure that embraces the body, follows its natural forms, and enhances its anatomy. I don’t want a tattoo to look like an image simply placed on the skin. I want it to feel as though it belongs to that particular body and interacts with it. That’s why the contrast between bold lines and fine details, between solid shapes and empty spaces, is so important in my work. The skin itself becomes part of the composition, almost like the light passing through a stained glass window.

The relationship with the person I’m tattooing is also an important part of the creative process. I believe that listening to a client’s ideas and working together to find the best way to develop them leads to more personal designs and, often, stronger results aesthetically as well. For me, tattooing has a fundamentally decorative dimension. Through my work, I try to enhance the body, respect its natural forms, and create something that feels as though it was made specifically for that person.

I like to think that everyone has their own light, something that makes them unique. My goal isn’t to cover it up, but to frame it and bring it forward through tattooing. In this sense, I connect with the idea of the body as a temple, which appears in many artistic traditions: a place to be adorned and celebrated. I believe my interest in religious imagery, sacred architecture, and artworks dedicated to the gods comes, at least in part, from this perspective.

Much of my inspiration comes from the things I encounter in everyday life and while traveling. I often find myself photographing architectural details, stained glass windows, sculptures, armor, and ornaments in churches, museums, and armories. I collect these images because something about them catches my eye, without necessarily knowing how I’ll use them. Sometimes, they become the starting point for a new project. Books, archives, and images I find online are also part of my research.

I don’t feel that I’ve reached a final destination, and I wouldn’t want my style to become something rigid or definitive. I believe I’ve found a direction that represents me, but I want to keep studying it, challenging it, and discovering where it can take me.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I’m not sure I have a precise definition of success. A fellow tattoo artist I’m close to sometimes tells me with a smile, “Remember, we’re living a dream.” I think that sentence captures my outlook on life pretty well.

Sometimes we’re so focused on what we want to achieve, the projects we have in mind, or the things we think we’re missing that we forget to appreciate what we already have. I feel fortunate to make a living doing something I love, to keep learning, and to meet people with whom I can share this passion.

I also feel fortunate for the opportunities this work has given me. Being able to travel for work to some of Europe’s major capitals and meet different people and cultures through tattooing is something I could only imagine for a long time. In 2027, I’ll also have the opportunity to take my first work trip to the United States, a new experience that excites me and that would have seemed far out of reach just a few years ago.

There are also people close to me who are no longer here, but whom I still feel are somehow by my side, helping me along this journey.

I think that, because of all this, the least I can do is give my best, keep improving, and share what I learn with the tattoo community. I believe everyone can contribute in their own way, through their work, their ideas, and their willingness to exchange knowledge and learn from others.

For me, perhaps success is exactly that: recognizing how fortunate I’ve been, enjoying the journey without taking anything for granted, and continuing to grow while trying to give something back to a community that has given me so much.

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