GARETH PARRY
I have been a full time Tattooist based in Sydney Australia since 2006. I started my path with Happy at Mischief Moon, tattooing there for 8.5 years whilst cementing my understanding of the tattoo application and solidifying the belief system that I hold today. Once moving on, I tattooed with LDF for 4.5 years in Marrickville, had a short stint at 13 feet, and did a few guest spots at Classic, Lighthouse and Ink Culture Canley Vale. Riding the rough couple of years through two lockdowns i was based at 359, close to home, but since the start of 2022 i am now very happily planted with the talented team at Ink Culture Collective, a private studio in Bankstown, South Western Sydney.
Growing up as a teenager of the 90s, the allure of tattoos were steeped in mystery within underground subcultures very far from the prominence we experience today. I wasn’t exposed to the harder service man/woman or biker type influences but instead, the heavy metal and skater/bmx/mountain bike subcultures that I was a part of.
Artistically, some of my greatest influences have been the warped minds of artists such as H.R.Giger and Salvador Dali. Now that I tattoo, my inspiration comes from a wide range of sources including modern tattooists, traditional Japanese artists, woodworkers, designers, graphic artists and everything in between.
In a world completely over saturated with visual stimulation, I am trying to find a more balanced creative path. Painting has definitely become a far more important aspect of my creative practice and I plan to continue delving deeper into that part of my tattooing and life. I have also recently recognised the need for other creative avenues away from tattooing and look forward to exploring new outlets such as woodworking, sculpture and jewellery making.
I hope to continue to evolve as an artist and tattooist and reach new heights as I search for a stronger level of commitment, discipline and calibre within myself.
