Getting a tattoo from Jess Yen is a lengthy, insightful, and above all, personal process. There is no way to expedite what he does—which is more than ink on skin, it’s art, tradition, and culture rolled into one. It is an experience and personal journey, no doubt why Yen has become one of the fore figures in the states of present day Tebori, traditional hand poked tattooing, in his Alhambra, Cali. shop My Tattoo. Born and raised in Taiwan, his background in Japanese and Chinese cultures helps inspire unique and creative designs to a list of clientele booked up to two years in advance. A student of karma, Yen believes “what goes around, comes around,” and has dedicated his life to his art, the stories of his clients, and creating masterpieces out of the two.

When did you first start to develop an interest in art and tattooing?

I was born in Taiwan and raised in a strict Japanese traditional way by my grandfather. My father passed away due to a plane accident when I was only a month old; therefore, my mom and I have been through a lot of hardship during my childhood. I believe this has made me a strong person inside. I always love to do drawing and creating art in different media.

When I was thirteen, I did my first tattoo of a Kanji character on my classmate’s arm by using a needle that was tied to a bamboo stick. Because of my great interest in art, my mom decided to send me to an art technical high school which is well-known for its art and design program in Taipei. After graduating from college, I worked for a Japanese interior designer in Taipei for a few years. I even worked on a couple of celebrity’s houses in Taiwan. It was quite an experience for me.

How did you end up in SoCal and decide to settle down there?

I had decided to come to the United States for a master degree in fine arts. Unfortunately, my mom (back in Taiwan) experienced a financial difficulty, so I was not able to complete the program. Later, I met my girlfriend, who is now my wife. She got my name tattooed on her lower back at a tattoo shop in Venice Beach, Cali. That was my first time seeing an electrical tattoo machine and I was amazed by its “speed.” I decided to combine my hand-poked tattoo skill with an advantage of an electrical machine to make a living.

The beginning was never easy. I started my tattoo career at my garage until I was invited by a local tattoo shop owner, Ken, to work at his shop in Alhambra, Cali. Ken became a really good friend of mine. He sold his business to me, which I renamed My Tattoo.

You’re often booked up to two years in advance. What do you think makes you such a stand out figure in the tattooing community when there are so many artists out there?

I am very grateful towards people who like my work. This mind of gratitude empowers me to create better and more beautiful work for my clients, every tattoo section in progress and at the completion. With so many great artists out there, I am truly blessed that people are willing to wait for me for two years. I think the main reason is the variety that I could offer to the clients. The skills of the traditional hand-poked tattooing (Tebori), Oriental art, color custom, black and gray, and realistic portrait have attracted many different clients for me. I wish I could do more and faster, but there are only two hands. No word can describe how thankful I am to my clients, so the only thing I could give back to them is the best work.

What do you think is the best part of your job?

The greatest thing about being a tattoo artist is that you get to know so many people. You will hear their stories, and those stories become your art. My favorite part is when my client told me about their enjoyment of my work. I quoted from one of my clients,“Hey, Jess.This is what I do every night before
I go to the bed for thirty minutes (looking at himself in the mirror). You amazed me every time I came here…” This is what keeps me going.

How does your family feel about it?

Tattooing in Taiwan was taboo back in those years. My family used to see me as a rebellious teenager. With many years of hard work and endless passion in art, I have changed their negative views of tattooing. Now they enjoy the art and are consistently checking my website for new work. My wife has been fully supportive since day one. She was the one who bought me my first electrical tattoo machine.

With sixteen years of experience, most people would consider you an industry veteran by now. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in tattooing?

Even with sixteen years in the industry, I always call myself an apprentice for life.This is how I lead my students. Learning is endless and creating art has no boundary.

The biggest change in tattooing is “custom.” With the world advances and being globalize, a client not only wants a tattoo that identifies him or her, but is also distinctive and unique.There is no more “pick a picture from the wall.” As a tattoo artist today and in the future, you must be a lifelong learner and self-starter. In that way, you will be able to create an art to fulfill your artistic ability and what a client wants.

Your shop’s Web site advocated going vegetarian and fighting global warming. Are you an eco-tattoo-artist?

I strongly believe in karma – which simply says, “What goes around, comes around.” Our action today will have a consequence tomorrow. I took advantage of my Web site to post ten ways to fight global warming and ten good reasons to be vegetarians because I want to urge every visitor of the site and myself to be thankful to our mother earth and put this thought into actions. This gratitude must go beyond all humanities, otherwise, the consequence of loosing our mother earth will come faster than we could ever imagine It is unfortunate that advanced technologies and living conveniences cause damages to our mother earth; therefore, as an individual or an eco-tattoo artist as you may say, I do what I can everyday to cherish and conserve the scared resources. This lifestyle may not directly influence my art, but it deeply influences my mentality and My Tattoo family. I strongly believe that mentality of appreciation comes before the skills. If one person does not have respect and appreciation, he/she will not be able to produce anything that will touch your heart. If a tattoo artist does not respect and appreciate the skin and the trust a client has given to you, he/she will not create a good work. You got to have the right heart to do the right job.

Any major shows or conventions we’ll see you at in 2009?

Here is my schedule for the first half of 2009: Feb. 13-15: Milan Tattoo Convention, Milan, Italy, March 20-22: International Tattoo Convention, Frankfurt, Germany, May 29-31: Hell City Tattoo Festival, Columbus, Oh., June 5-7: Ink & Iron Tattoo Festival, Long Beach, Cali.

Is there anything else the readers of PRICK should know about Jess Yen?

I always remember all the people who have helped me in the early stage of my tattooing career. Although I did the best I could at the time, I always know that those works are not meeting my expectation today. I have much gratitude toward those people who have trusted me with their skin and encouraged me to create more art. Because of them, I have grown as an artist. Because of them, I have My Tattoo family. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them from the bottom of my heart.