We were lucky to catch up with ZOFi recently and have shared our conversation below.

ZOFi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Visual art has been something I’ve always done since childhood. My first decision to pursue art came during my high school years.

ZOFi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is ZOFi, I’ve been a tattoo artist for almost 3 years. I specialize in large scale hyper realism as well as micro realism. Prior to working with sharp objects, I was a gallery artist, exhibiting my paintings internationally as well as domestically including at Art Basel, Miami. In conjunction, I was also an art teacher to elementary school kids. Being an educator was a wonderful and wholesome time in my life. Now I spend most of my professional time immersed in the immense and ever evolving art of tattooing. Drawing on people’s skin is a privilege and an ethical responsibility of providing quality work. I love listening to my client’s concepts and in turn provide them with a design that is unique to their vision and personal history. It really turns into this harmonious collaboration between client and artist, an exchange of energy and trust, resulting in beautiful body art. I love it.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The only resource I wish I knew about at the start of my creative journey is the simple concept of unconditional confidence. In my early creative years during my ‘painting era’, I’ve spent a lot of time very motivated and easily deflated. I never doubted my developing skill set, but simply doubted myself as a person and where I belonged in the creative genre of society. Confidence for me is not innate, it’s learned. Being an artist is not necessarily a romantic lifestyle, it requires patience, persistence, and sacrifice. Lots of ups and downs, financial and emotional. As I have continued to grown in my human experience, as a woman, I finally know, embrace and acknowledge my own resources.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s the work itself. And the wild process of it all. I have been creating art my entire life. I went to an art high school, initially being there as a music student. I knew I had to switch to visual art, and I did. Then I went to art collage for illustration. Never actually applied for illustration work. I knew I had to paint, and so I did. I started showing at galleries and selling my work to private collectors. And at some point that was no longer my path, and I knew I had to switch to tattooing, and I did. And every painting on someone’s wall, and ink mark on their skin is a testament of the collective years of seeking knowledge and exploration of self realization. My art is my language, it’s how I communicate within this world, it’s how my conscious survives and thrives and connects to others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zofiaart.com
• Instagram: @zofiaart
• Youtube: zofitattoos
• Other: TikTok: @zofiaart Threads: @zofiaart