Geneviève, @gigistabs to her followers, is the example of a hobby quickly flourishing into a dream career. Hailing from the Midwest, she has made Brooklyn her home, and after two years of tattooing herself, the artist now has tattooed over 150 people and has over 50 tattoos of her own.
Read below to learn more about the blue-haired butterfly cheeked creative.
When & how did you get start tattooing?
I started tattooing about two years ago. I’ve always wanted to pursue an art-based career where I could draw every day and interact with interesting people.
So, when I started tattooing myself as more of a hobby, I realized how much I enjoyed it and that if I work hard I can build a career for myself doing so. I had friends asking for stick and pokes, and eventually, after practicing on myself for months, I gave my closest friend a really small tattoo.
Most artists rock a bit of ink themselves, how many tattoos do you have? Which one is your favorite?
At this point I know I have at least 50 tattoos, but I never notice them because they have just become a part of me that I am so used to.
I recently gave myself a red butterfly on my cheek late one night. That one is probably my current favorite. It is one of my two color tattoos, so when I look in the mirror and see a pop of color it makes me happy. I feel like it is the tattoo I notice the most and it makes me feel inspired to keep creating.
You've been tattooing for six years but your profile seems pretty prolific. How many people have you tattooed? What is your favorite tattoo that you've done?
So far I have tattooed at least 150 people, but I have definitely lost count. I am currently working on a large handpiece that has been my favorite tattoo to create and see come to life.
I am starting to do some bigger pieces and those are really cool to watch evolve when they take more than one session.
What is your New York story, how long have you been here?
I have been in New York for about a year and a half. I moved from the Midwest wanting to live in a bigger city with more like-minded people.
Another huge factor was wanting to pursue tattooing and music, so this was the perfect place to be.
Everyone has a favorite hideaway, what's your favorite place in New York?
I live in Williamsburg and always love to walk around this area discovering new things. But a couple of my favorite places here are the East River State Park, for the view of the city and the nice breeze in the summer, and a jazz bar called Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village that is super cozy and relaxing.
Another hobby is finding little thrift stores with friends and digging through odds and ends until we find something really interesting.
Get inked up by Genevieve at Augmented tomorrow night, RSVP here.