Artist Feature: Mikhail Andersson

Back in June, the Tattd Team sat down with Moscow-born tattooist, Mikhail Andersson for a comprehensive chat about growth, culture, and passion. Mikhail has become a staple in New York City through his versatile and saturated talents; tattooing in styles such as trash polka, watercolor, and full-color realism. He has gained worldwide recognition from conventions and brands alike, most recently becoming a member of Emalla’s Grece Pro Team. In 2016, Andersson opened his own studio, First Class Tattoo where true art is born and work culture thrives. A true win-win for both artist and client if you ask us!

Photo by Kate Kondratieva

We always love a good origin story here at Tattd! When did your tattooing journey first begin?

I went to college for graphic design and actually worked [for] a printing company. I used to do logos and flyers for actual big brands. It was a very stressful job, but back when I started there were’t as many freelancers as there are now. I had friends who were tattoo artists - I don’t know how it happened. There were not that many shops back then in Moscow - only like 34 and everybody knew each other. I was really drawn towards tattoos, it truly fascinated me and yeah, I was hanging around a lot of tattoo artists. At a certain point when I was over graphic design, I said “I want to be a tattoo artist!”

You first started tattooing in Moscow, then eventually came over to the United States. What inspired you to take such a big leap in your life and career, and what was the process like for you?

The initial idea was to come to New York and a few other states to see how tattoo shops and tattoo artists operate. I didn’t want to live here, but rather see the industry. Russia was a little tough with tattoos and tattoo supplies - the best stuff was probably in America at the time. I [wanted] to come here and guest spot, then come back. I did not plan on staying, but a lot of things happened.

New York was tough. There like were 10 shops when I came here and a lot of them wouldn’t take anybody. Shops wouldn’t even accept artists for guest spots because things are just different here, specifically with licenses. The health department could come at any time. I [actually] went to Miami and lived there for 2 years. It was the most popular place to get tattooed in 2012, very touristy and lines out the door. I didn’t want to stay there when I first got a job in a shop; I just wanted the experience.

Tattoo culture has changed drastically over the last 2 decades, both nationwide and internationally. What’s your perspective on some of these changes as an artist yourself?

It used to be a very small, tight culture where everybody knew each other. Now, there’s 10 million artists popping up because of seminars and workshops. They say “oh I’m a tattoo artist now” and it was never that way before. This boom has caused so many shops to open up, and everyone has no work. The demand [for tattoos] might be bigger, but the amount of artists out there is so high. We drop our prices a little just to be competitive.

Looking at your portfolio, one thing certainly stands out: your versatility as an artist. Did you always have an interest in mastering multiple tattoo styles, or did it just happen over time as you maneuvered through your career?

I would stick to one style, but I have so many clients ask me for different things - it’s hard to say no because I have a personal relationship with so many of them. It’s always fun to try something new too, you know?

Outside of tattooing, you are extremely passionate about videography and photography. How did that hobby begin

We use photography when taking pictures of tattoos, but I never really got deep into it until 2020 [when] the studio was closed for 4 months. I started watching YouTube and stuff like that; then picked up my camera outside the shop and would shoot things I wanted to. It’s changed a lot of my perspective; you start seeing everything differently as you practice.

For me, it’s also helped me mentally. I have a stressful work relationship and always have to deal with something - taking photos or assisting someone on video allows me to not think about that other stuff. So, it helps me mentally. It’s [something] to spend a day or week doing and it takes my mind off running operations, speaking with lawyers, whatever it is.

In previous interviews, you mentioned that First Class Tattoo was born after being consistently unsatisfied with other studio environments. How did those negative experiences shape the foundation of your studio so that you could make the environment exactly what you wanted it to be?

In the art world, I feel like everyone sees things their own way. There’s always energy, drama, other stuff. [For me], the original idea was to have a family, and learn together, grow together; but it’s hard because you cannot expect other people to be the same way. I always got disappointed [working at other studios]. A lot of days, I would rather stay home than deal with where I’ve worked before. It was just not a good environment. So, I pulled away from shops - I personally don’t care about the money. I care about the work environment and if it makes me happy, along with my peers.

We always like to end by giving tattoo artists a chance to share one final message about themselves, clients, and so on. The floor is yours!

There is a type of client that do not trust the professionals, us. They try to control the colors, the size of the tattoo, all that stuff really. You’re not gonna go to a surgeon while they’re operating and say, “hey, can you adjust this?” I don’t say that I have the best day every day, but I try to put my best work out there while I’m tattooing. [Some clients] want to be in control of everything, but it’s not always better than what I do on my own. My best interest it to create tattoos that I can showcase and display. It’s like my business card.