Krish Goorye : Young tattoo artist forges ahead

His inborn talent and passion for art has led this young man into the world of tattoos. Aged 23, Krish Goorye, who dreamt of becoming an art lecturer, is now a promising tattoo artist. The gifted artist, who was ranked in the Top 3 on the Arts Side for Laureates in year 2015, shares with News on Sunday his atypical pathway, his inspirations and challenges in the tattoo world. 

Living from his passion and putting his talent at the service of the public: This is how lucky our young artist is. At only 23 years old, Krish Goorye is living the dream that many of us wish to achieve. The 3rd year art student at the School of Fine Arts at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, who has a God-gifted and an innate talent for art, saw his pathway taking an unexpected but pleasant turn three years ago. 

Tattoos are beautiful to look at but what we find more interesting are the stories behind them. Each one’s tale is unique and the thought that goes into them often results in something truly meaningful."

Krish studied art at secondary level and was ranked in the Top 3 on the Arts Side for the HSC Laureates 2015. He received a scholarship to pursue his studies in the art field. “It all started after my HSC when I was applying for universities. Before joining the university, I had a short sabbatical in between. This is when I decided to explore another medium, which is tattoo. I always admired and was fond of tattoo artists, so I told myself, why not give it a try? I went for it and here I am today,” he shares. 

His meeting with Patrick Ricco from Patrick Tattoo Studio would change his life. Since 2016, in parallel to pursuing his tertiary studies, Krish started as freelance tattoo artist in collaboration with the Patrick Tattoo Studio, found in Grand Bay. 

Inborn talent for art

Art has formed an integral part of Krish’s life since he was a child. Growing up in two different cultures and countries, namely Mauritius and Seychelles, the latter shares that he has always had that creative flair. “My talent is an inborn gift which I have gradually developed to the fullest. Natural talent is essential for success. As a child, living on a private island of the paradise of Seychelles, Denis Island, I was always inspired by the splendid flora and fauna. This led me to express my inspiration through drawings. At that time, I was 5 years old and I was not able to join school because there was no school on the private island. As we say, a mother is the child’s first teacher, so my mother was the one teaching me everything, be it languages, mathematics and others. Among my first classes was art class, where I further developed my creative thoughts.”

It is at the age of 10 that Krish joined the primary school on Praslin Island, in Seychelles. He came back to Mauritius along with his family at the age of 14 and joined the Triolet State Secondary School. As a child, he confides that he had only one dream job in mind. “It wanted to become an art lecturer. As a child, I was and still am multi-talented, whether it is in academics and others. Art has always been one major aspect in my life and it is something I am very passionate about,” he utters. 

Some tattoos take lots of time, like 14 hours.  When customizing a tattoo, there should be a corporation between both artist and clients, as it may be painful and an uncomfortable task."

Life as a tattoo artist

Krish explains that being a tattoo artist is not as easy as many would believe it to be. “Tattoos are beautiful to look at but what we find more interesting are the stories behind them. Each one’s tale is unique and the thought that goes into them often results in something truly meaningful, that serves as a visual reminder for a range of different life-changing events.” He trusts that becoming a tattoo artist is more about belief in one’s talent. “I believe that when art chooses someone, there’s nothing difficult to pursue, whether it is learning and acquiring new techniques even if it is what you’re not used to. But at the same time, I had to become someone confident because tattoos are not drafts-drafting on somebody. It is permanent and it should be perfect,” he utters. 

This resident of Pointe aux Canonniers shares that when he decided to work as a tattoo artist, his family was against this decision. “At first, I must say that my family and friends did not see the work of a tattoo artist as a good one. However, I am glad that I have been able to change their perspectives. Since then, my family has been a major support for me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

How is the life of a tattoo artist? “The life of a tattoo artist is not a cherry on the cake. It requires sacrificing your social life. You have to be sure of what you are doing. Transferring from paper to skin is not as straight forward, as it demands lots of energy and peace of mind. Producing a tattoo is a big commitment and being the one doing it on somebody’s skin is another big responsibility. Some tattoos take lots of time, like 14 hours.  When customizing a tattoo, there should be a corporation between both artist and clients, as it may be painful and an uncomfortable task. Tattoo artists need full concentration and energy.”
Apart from all these situations, shares Krish, the life of a tattoo artist is mesmerizing “as you gain self-satisfaction, self-respect and respect from the entire world. You also build a communication bridge with the masters of tattoo; you’re able to explore international relations and grounds, travelling the world. In all, the life of a tattoo artist equals name, fame and gain.”

His inspirations

The promising tattoo artist states that his biggest inspiration are three great masters of tattoo, namely Silvano Fiato, Italian contemporary artist who does exclusively black and grey realism, Thomas Carli Jarlier, French tattoo artist specialized in hyperrealism portraiture and Karol Rybakowski, Polish tattoo artist and master of hyperrealism color based.

Asked about what inspires him to do his tattoos, Krish utters that the clients also play a major role. “The clientele is another inspiration for me to practice tattoo, as they believe in me and my style. This motivates me to do more. I’d say it is not a matter of challenge, I work according to my clients’ demands because they trust me as per my skills and more.” 

The clientele is another inspiration for me to practice tattoo, as they believe in me and my style. This motivates me to do more."

The young student, however, trusts that many talented young people are often demotivated to pursue artistic careers, as there are not many openings in Mauritius. “We are all aware that in Mauritius, we still practice tattoo traditionally and not in modern ways. In order to pursue my goals in the tattoo industry, I have to opt for international standards to attain it since abroad, people know the virtue of tattoo and recommend further development.”

He strongly encourages young talented Mauritian to pursue careers as tattoo artists. “I encourage them if they have the talent because artistic talent is something that grows day by day and requires inner contentment. I am not saying others cannot practice tattooing, but if you are doing it for name, fame and gain, then it’s not a right way. If you want to become a tattoo artist, there’s more than just learning how to use a tattoo gun. Raw talent is a must. Do it out of passion not for monetary gain, pursuing tattoo is investing in your dream! Value your art!”