Today we’d like to introduce you to Hori-Maki.
Maki, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was introduced to tattoos when I was 22 years old. I was living in Australia as a competitive surfer when I was struck by a car and was no longer able to compete, so I began to work at a surfboard shop. My job was to spray color on surfboards or paint some designs on them. One day, a customer requested an image of the Japanese Dragon. I went to look at books and tattoo shops to find dragon references. That’s how I explored my Japanese roots and culture – something that school never taught me.
At a tattoo shop, I found a sticker on the wall. It read “Horigen from Fukuoka Japan”. I had heard the name a couple of times from local friends before. I had a special feeling about tattoo culture. Something was telling me to go follow this unknown special feeling. I packed all my stuff and moved back to Japan. The next day, I called the shop and visited Horigen, the name on that sticker. I showed him my practice drawings and portfolio. He just said, “Okay, you can come tomorrow. ” That’s how my 5-year apprenticeship began. Very few other apprentices could keep up with the demands. People came and left, but I stayed and focused on the goal. It felt like I was training to become a monk.
After I graduated from the apprenticeship, I moved to Europe and started from scratch again. I went to many shops in England to look for an opportunity. People told me to go back home (Japan ), there’s nothing here for you. I was dressed very poorly and started drawing portraits on the street for tourists, and practiced tattooing on friends. It took me 6 months to finally get hired as a tattoo artist in Brixton, UK. After a few months, I started traveling all over the world making guest appearances at different parlors for a few years. I ended up in the US in 2014 and opened my own studio in 2016. Today I have studios in both Beverly Hills and Hawaii 🙂 I believe my destiny was to become a tattoo artist.
Inked Zen is a Japanese zen inspired Tattoo & Meditation studio. The space is cultivated by renowned tattoo artist Hori-Maki, and Sound Practitioner Nicolas Sotomayor, a certified sound therapist and meditation teacher.Inked Zen is unlike any other art studio you’ll find in Los Angeles, or the rest of the world. It blends the elements of a traditional Japanese tattoo parlor with the energy of wellness studio. They seek elegance and simplicity, and want their clients to feel the warmth that the studio exudes. We began creating our own style of ” Zen Healing “, which combines Japanese art, culture, and the healing power of sound. We believe the process of drawing and receiveing a tattoo can be a meditative and healing experience in itself. Tattoo studios shouldn’t cause anxiety. Whether you come to get inked or attend a sound meditation or yoga class, clients leave here with a sense of peace and belonging.” “We love to share our studio space with inked clients, meditation practitioners, yogis, and creatives. Come for the ink, stay for the Zen.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
– Being an immigrant female business owner without any experience has been a struggle.
I definitely learned the hard way. Everything was so difficult for an immigrant businesswoman with English as her second language. I had so much to learn from zero, perhaps starting from a handicap.
Firstly, hiring lawyers, accountants, setting up a business name and starting a company was the most challenging of course. I had language problems. I had no idea what I was doing for everything. I mean EVERYTHING. I was like just trust these professionals and learn from them at the same time. My mentality was – If they screw me over, so be it… Dealing with landlords in Los Angeles sucked. I had to move the studio location 3 times in Downtown LA. 2 of them were illegally overcharging me or harassing me.
– Starting my own tattoo studio with no experience.
People always found me or my shop, and I never rejected or denied anyone. I pretty much-accepted everyone who knocked on the door to join our team. I never had experience hiring people before. And I came from a traditional Japanese culture. I knew no one is perfect from the beginning. So I gave everyone a trial, and ultimately I couldn’t reject them after the trial period because I got so attached to that person already. Even if they betrayed me and backstabbed me. First of all, who could expect it to be perfect from the beginning right? I was sleepless, helpless, broken but kept going. There was no time to rest. So yes, I failed in the beginning, but I am proud that I don’t hate anybody in the end, regardless if they stole or cheated behind my back.
– Struggle between been a business owner and an artist
After the Covid lockdown, I had to close my shop in downtown LA. Right after I moved into a new studio, COVID hit. I shouldn’t say this but COVID really changed my life. I started tattooing from a private studio again and began traveling back and forth between Hawaii and LA like I used to before I started my business. I realized how much of my time and money and energy I had put into my business, and I had to start over from way behind of everyone. I did it for my family, my artists, and my apprentice. Nothing lasted except me. Finally, I opened up a studio again. This time in Beverly Hills. I had enough time to learn from my mistakes, and now most importantly I have a different purpose – to operate a tattoo studio with my lovely husband who brought me my Zen spirit.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a tattoo artist and specialize in Japanese Traditional body suits and Realistic fine lines. My tattoo style is traditional Japanese but it is also based on realism. I tattoo just like I paint.
“Onkochishinn” creating new ideas based on study of the past.
I completed my five years apprenticeship under a traditional tattoo ” Hori-Gen ” family. I studied Japanese art history and culture. I am known as a freehand artist, which means I don’t use a stencil. My clients love watching how I draw freehand on their skin and it turns out to be a complete art piece. I love freehand, it gives me creative freedom, and most importantly, it follows the shape of the body. I love what I do, but it never feels like I am enough. I am at a weird point where I’m proud of myself and recognize where I am now, but I also feel I am not doing enough of what I am supposed to be doing.
Now I’m at a point where I focus on my art. and not the hustle, not education, not worried of anything else except my art. Now I have so much energy to be an artist. My art is based on realism, structures, and movement that make sense. In between, I found a comfortable level that blends Traditional and Realism.
“Onkochishinn” creating new ideas based on a study of the past.
Contact Info:
- Website:Â inkedzen.com
- Instagram:Â www.instagram.com/horimakitattooing
- Facebook:Â www.facebook.com/horimakiskin
Image Credits
Luis Rodriguez
