Today we’d like to introduce you to Déborah Albuquerque.
Hi Déborah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started drawing even before writing. Since my childhood, I’ve been curious about expressing my desires through art. My original country is Brazil, and I come from a middle-class family. Growing up and choosing my career wasn’t easy because of the pressure to choose something that would “make money”. However, I never strayed too far from what made me happy. I attended an Architect and Urbanism college, but halfway through, I realized it wasn’t what I expected, and I wouldn’t be happy working in that field. That’s when I realized that Brazil might not be the best economic situation for me to pursue my dreams while working. I then decided to come to the US, mainly in LA. After listening to the advice of a few friends and family, I took a chance and started learning how to tattoo. It may sound silly, but since my first day as an apprentice in a tattoo studio, I felt like I was doing the right thing. My first tattoo wasn’t scary; on the contrary, I was excited, curious, and happy. I’ve been working as a tattoo artist for a year and a half now and can’t imagine doing anything else. My love for my career grows every single day, and I’m always trying to find ways to improve and learn new techniques. Although, I know I still have a long way to go to achieve all my goals.
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?
It depends on what “smooth” means to you. I have experienced many difficult situations so far.. The fact that I had a tattoo I didn’t like on my skin, which I am currently removing, put a lot of mental pressure on me, especially in the beginning when I was unsure about the quality of my work. I remember coming home and hoping that no one would feel as uncomfortable with my tattoos as I did with mine. Additionally, in the beginning, I didn’t have much time to work because I wanted to learn quickly. I wanted to spend more and more time just doing that, so I was short on money for a certain period of time. Being a tattoo artist in Los Angeles can be a little tricky. If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to do, you can easily feel discouraged, especially with so many talented artists working here. In my case, I took it as inspiration. Some people can consider that as struggles, I prefer to see it as adversities, and life is all about it. I don’t think it was an easy scenario, but all of them I went through, I tried to keep focus on the whole picture process. I tried not to get distracted by the small, upsetting moment. Instead, I thought about what I could take from that moment that would add something to my life. As my mom is used to saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a tattoo artist specializing in micro realism and fine line work. I am known for the delicate and well-detailed designs I create, always using the smallest available needles to achieve a good contrast. People often compliment me on how gentle I am with their skin and how comfortable I make them feel during the entire session. I take pride in approaching each tattoo with love, intention, and attention, and witnessing the happiness of my clients confirms the quality of my work.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel like is confidence, trusting that you are able to do anything you want if you put your mind to it. I don’t compare myself to anyone else (although I have a lot of people who inspire me). My path is unique, and even if I do something in a way I didn’t plan, resulting in failure, it will be just one setback among many victories. And I hold onto that.
Pricing:
- I have the minimum price of $250
Contact Info:
