What other artists can say that their work becomes part of a mobile gallery, on view to the world as people go about their daily lives? Vera Smit from V-inked Tattoo Studio has chosen the medium of skin as her canvas.
Vera’s interest in art began at a young age. Her grandmother was an artist and encouraged Vera as a toddler to start painting on canvas. During her school days in the Eastern Cape, she was the best Matric pupil for art and won a Matric Fynbos Art Competition in the Eastern Cape.
She then had her son and began working for a building company who assisted her with gaining bookkeeping qualifications.
She remained in the bookkeeping line of work for many years and even after moving to Tzaneen in 2008, carried on doing bookkeeping work. She then moved to only working part-time in 2014, spending the rest of her time learning the art of tattooing, “For the first three years, I still worked part-time. My salary had to pay into the business. It was gruelling times but it was worth it. I just decided, I am going to make this work.”
Eighteen months ago, Vera then quit her part-time job to pursue her passion of tattooing on a full-time basis.
“It was the scariest thing I have ever done. To just let go and decide and I’m going to put everything into this,” Vera told the LETABA HERALD, “I was at an emotional cross-roads in my life. I just wondered what the Church would say. Their opinion mattered to me.”
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Vera is a youth teacher at her church and so she was worried that judgement would be passed on her for her chosen profession. However, they accepted her and her tattoos which put her mind at ease and pushed her forward in her art.
She trained at a tattoo academy in Pretoria and was among six others in the class, “I was one of seven people in my class and only two of us are still in business today. It is a tough industry, it is difficult to learn the craft in a small amount of time.”
When asked about her preferred style, Vera answered, “I like to try everything. I like exploring and designing different ideas,” but mentioned that she draws a lot of inspiration from Pretoria based tattoo artist, Meghan Ann Potgieter.
Vera noted that in the tattooing industry, it is all about talent, with 90% of her customers coming via referral and word of mouth. She has clients from all over the province from as far as Marble Hall and Mokopane and her Saturday’s are booked up to two to three months in advance.
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When asked whether she has been the victim of judgement due to her visible tattoos, Vera explained, “I do wonder, are they admiring the tattoo or being judgemental? But I have found my identity in Christ. I am not looking for their approval, I worry about what God thinks of me, not people.”
Going forwards, she hopes to get an apprentice to join her and then possibly open a shop in town. Watch this space!
