Hello Jari Kajaste! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Please start by telling us something about yourself and your background. What made you start tattooing? I became a tattoo artist by acting on an impulse basically, it really wasn’t something I had planned or always wanted to be. Even tho I’ve always liked to draw and airbrush. Of course now after almost twenty years I can't image doing anything else!

Q: How your style changed over the years?
A: I think my style evolved to what it is now because of my strive to learn and to challenge myself, but also because of peoples' demand. Realism came to me almost by itself, it was just a very natural way for me to go since I’ve always been interested and inspired by nature and photography.

Q: Tell me about the creative process.
A: I do nearly all designs in my head when I have the first meeting with my client. When they tell me their ideas, I almost instantly get an image in my mind of what the final tattoo should look like. I usually draw designs on paper, just search for some reference photos and then sum everything up by stencils straight on to the client’s skin. However lately, I have done some digital designing also and I'm hoping to get more into that when I have the time.

Q: What about progress?
A: I believe that a tattoo artist should continue improving and learning throughout their entire career, because to be honest, every artist has still room to improve their techniques and/or designs no matter how good or experienced they are. When you stop progressing you’ll start regressing, or at least that’s how I see it.

Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: I really love what I do and the will to create something as close to perfection as possible pushes me forward every day. Also when seeing great works from other artists it inspires me a great deal to push even further.

Q: What's the opinion about tattoos in Finland?
A: Nowadays tattoos are well accepted here in Helsinki and you can see people with visible (even hand or neck) tattoos working as a clerk, nurse, or even a police officer. People are also starting to appreciate a lot more the art of tattooing and are choosing their artists more carefully than a few years back.

Q: Do you also work as a guest spot artist?
A: Still this year I will be doing a guest spot (at least) in the following studios;

Nadelwerk Tattoo Studio in Austria- Dr. Kossstrasse 7 / 4600 Wels, Austria
Check out our Facebook Page - Tattoostudio Nadelwerk
Giahi’s Pure Precision Ink in Switzerland
Classic Ink & Mods in The Netherlands

Q: Do you have any "dream" piece that is still undone?
A: I have been lucky enough to do many of my favorite images/motives during the years and I can’t say that I’d have one specific piece that I had not gotten to do. You could say that all photograph based, nature motives are the ones I enjoy doing the most so I’d say they’re all my ”dream” pieces that I’d still love to do.

Q: Do you feel overwhelmed sometimes?
A: I do, from time to time I feel a bit overwhelmed by the hectic schedule of conventions, guest spots, and taking care of our studio, but most of the time it’s just a good feeling to have lots going on and plenty of clients wanting to get tattooed. Luckily I tend to have great clients and a very few crazy ones (haha). I think it’s because my clients, their unique ideas and personalities and of course the great colleagues I get the chance to work with keep me highly motivated all the time.

I usually tend to keep my waiting times as sort as possible and book myself for only a few months on, so usually an appointment for me can be made for within three to four months or quicker. If my calendar starts to look too full, I’ll just close it for a month or two and start taking bookings again when the waiting time is reasonable. Anybody wanting to get tattooed at my studio in Helsinki or at guest spot or a convention can contact me at: studio@kajasteart.fi

Q: What are the most important things that every single artist should know in order to become successful?
A: I think every single artist should know that gaining respect and success, as well as technical skills and experience, takes a lot of time and it takes a great deal of patience and practice.