We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vlad Nemirovsky. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vlad below.

Hi Vlad , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with important influences in our lives. Is there a historical figure you look up to?

History is such a huge part of my story, and is the structural foundation of who I am as an artist and person. When I was a child my mom and grandmother would take my twin sister and I to the metropolitan museum of art, the museum of natural history, MOMA, and pretty much every other major museum NYC has to offer. When it comes to a single historical figure to choose I might have to break some rules here and pick a few! That’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. I was always drawn to the misunderstood, tortured artists and poets who walked through life filled with a peculiar existential darkness that I felt I I shared. From the terrifying paintings of Francisco de Goya to the apocalyptic four horsemen of the apocalypse by Albrecht Durer.

When I was 25 years old I had to undergo a few small surgeries that left me unable to leave the house. It was a long winter and as I felt my small queens apartment rattled by the drastic conditions outside I read every Jack London book I could find until I felt like I was in those pages, climbing mountains and surviving the bitter call of the wild. In times of self doubt throughout my cross country travels I thought of Ernest Hemingway and what it means to be a man. ‘There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.’
I carry all of these historical figures with me wherever I go, my shops walls are adorned in paintings and stories from these literary giants. I hope one day to pass these books and paintings on to someone who can cherish them as I have.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is vlad and I’m a tattoo artist and the owner of Crooked Heart, a tattoo shop in Bushwick. For as long as I can remember art has been an integral part of my identity, it’s a part of my DNA. In 2018 after moving to California I nervously decided to get a small tattoo on my wrist, I had no plans to continue getting more but after the first one I was hooked. A year in a half later and after many more sessions I was covered in bold and dark American traditional tattoos, forever changing the clean cut “innocent” vlad I once was. It was my rebellion. And it felt invigorating! Soon I took things a step further and got a apprenticeship and moved up the ladder quickly, I worked in a shop that was less then ideal and saved as much money as I could and opened a private studio. It was one of the hardest years of my life…but also exhilarating. After quickly becoming the Bushwick “flash tattoo” spot and solidifying a good reputation we decided to completely abandon the private studio approach and moved into our beautiful storefront and expand to a team of four artists. Each artist has a unique stylistic approach to tattooing as well as a background in art. From fine line and single needle tattooing to turn of the century American traditional work and surrealist neo traditional, we all have our strengths and markets we apply to. One of the most important things for me as a business owner is creating a safe space for people to come and feel connected to. Nothing makes me happier then a busy weekend and all four artists are tattooing and we each have a client from different walks of life in our chairs. underneath the cacophony of buzzing coil machines, needles and rotaries you hear all four clients start to find common ground and laugh and talk about the things that brought them here to our shop. It’s a beautiful experience and the energy is infectious.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience is something I am very familiar with. In my early 20’s I made every mistake in the book and it cost me most of my family and friends. I was constantly starting over and each time I would find that the people in my corner would be fewer and fewer.I walked through life with a chip on my shoulder and almost abandoned art for good. When I turned 27 (with a lot of help from therapy and a push from my loved ones.) I discovered that life without purpose isn’t much of a life at all. And instead of holding on to spite, the only thing I was interested in was becoming a better person. Maybe one day I wouldn’t have to work retail or be the black sheep of the family. And so with that change I managed to forge a better path for myself. None of this would have been possible without the unconditional love and support from my inner circle (Yana, mom, pop, Amanda, and my grandparents)

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Be authentic, understand your team and it’s inner dynamics. And ALWAYS stay humble and control your ego. This is where things can get tricky for a lot of people. The first promise I made to myself was that I would always keep my ego in check. Power has a way of turning the most laid back and selfless business owners into narcissists and ego maniacs and I have worked with many of them in my past. It’s not a good feeling. From my time in retail and sales I remember the feeling of my boss walking in when the team was not expecting it and all of us were nervous, backs straight, pointlessly cleaning and keeping our heads down so that we wouldn’t get noticed. I never want to be that kind of shop owner. Every business is different, so in my field understanding the basic psychology of an artist/creative is important. Generally we don’t like being micromanaged too much so I don’t force any particular routine or schedule on anyone, I believe in giving the artists the ability to choose how they want to operate. Remain vigilant and open minded, try not to take things personally. All of these things foster a good work environment and a pleasant atmosphere.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Crookedhearttattoo sadboyvladink