Ben Twentyman’s film

Tattoo artist Ben Twentyman's passion for drawing began early, rooted in his "very creative parents" and making it his favourite school subject. His path took a detour through a university sports degree, but he found himself dedicating more time to his art than his studies. Recognising this, he made the decision to drop out and pursue a career that would allow him to express his creativity.

Despite initial scepticism from others "Everyone was telling me, ‘you've taken a backwards step. You're not on the right trajectory’" Ben immediately knew he had made the right choice. He then committed fully to his artistic development, attending art college, university, and undertaking a demanding tattoo apprenticeship, pouring hours into honing his unique creative voice.

Now, with his own studio in Manchester, Ben is living his dream. He describes tattooing as "Such an inspired way of doing things. Imagine the actual privilege of putting art on someone's body for life." He also values the deep bonds formed with clients, noting, "Naturally you create a bond with that person and end up speaking to me about their lives during the tattoo. I'm tattooing people now that I've been tattooing for years, and when they come in, they're not clients anymore, they're friends."

Ben is driven by artistic integrity over financial gain. He states, "I didn't get into this for the money, I got into this so I could create pieces of art." His progress is focused on developing an artistic style that evokes joy, like "a mouse riding a snake." He prioritises working on pieces that align with his style, saying, "If I've only got one or two tattoos in a week that are all in my artistic style, I would much rather that than be fully booked up for the next three months in things that I don't enjoy."

For Ben, continuous progression is essential, believing "you owe it to your clients and you owe it to yourself, to continuously progress." He considers it a privilege to help people "customise themselves through tattoos," adding, "Without art, what would the world even be? It'd be dull and boring. We need artists in order to bring some sort of life to us all." This sentiment clearly defines Ben's dedication, energy, and time, a dedication deeply inspired by his Nana, who supported the launch of his studio and whose love for his art will always be remembered.

Find Ben here:
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