Brandon Burgos, an 11-year-old tattoo artist from Mexico

By Gabriela Garcia Guzman

Puebla, Mexico, Oct 24 (EFE).- Brandon Burgos, following in his father’s footsteps, became a tattoo artist in the Mexican city of Puebla at the tender age of 11, exhibiting his artistic creations on the skin of willing customers.

With almost two years of experience, Burgos tells Efe that he has already inked many tattoos, including a skull he drew for his father, Jesus, after he made him promise to keep his school performance up.

“I like to draw a lot and my dad works in the field and I was very interested in it. It caught my attention. I started to go (to the studio) and help him. I started setting up a table and stencils, until one day I had the opportunity to ask him to teach me,” says the young boy.

Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out more than a year ago and the world entered lockdown, Burgos says, his curiosity grown and eventually he dared to ask his father to help him.

He adds he received support from his uncles and their friends, who agreed to let him practice various techniques on their skin.

“I was most nervous when I did my first tattoo but then I started to like it and now I do not get nervous anymore,” he explains.

The young artist’s father, who says tattooing is his passion, as well as a job that makes ends meet, highlights that his son started practicing by drawing pieces of fruit freehand.

“And when I saw that he was making progress, I offered to get a tattoo. He got nervous but he said: ‘Yes.’ That was when he tattooed me a skull,” the single father adds.

Burgos not only hopes to keep tattooing people but also to go to college to get the proper education so that he can pursue a career.

EFE