Victor Policheri

I've been artistically inclined since my childhood. Though there was a time when I believed my path would go another direction, I was fortunate to begin tattooing at 19 years old, about the same time I purchased my first motorcycle; some things were just meant to be. College was not to my liking. Unchallenged and disappointed I took out one last college loan and bought tattoo gear in 1993. I never sought an apprenticeship, instead taking the much slower route of teaching myself. For the first few years I worked other jobs and tattooed on the side. In 1996 Minnesota was no longer to my liking (70 below zero just gets old). I packed tattoo gear, camping gear, clothes, tools, and my guitar onto my motorcycle and wound my way through the highways of western America until I found myself in Olympia, WA. Two months there and I settled in Seattle. I tattooed outside of shops for my first four years or so, supplementing my income with construction and house-painting jobs. During this period I made many trips by train, Greyhound, and motorcycle back to tattoo all over the Midwest; many amazing journeys, many amazing stories! It was on some of these trips that for my first time I worked in shops owned by friends. In Minneapolis was the Crows Claw Tattoo, owned by Sarah Ruehmann, a dear friend of mine. I worked a few short stints there and in Mankato, MN at Cactus Tattoo, owned by another good friend, Megan Hoogland, gaining some of my first shop experience and meeting lifelong friends (among those is an amazing artist named David Heskin... Check my 'links'). I attribute one unusual aspect of my work to these first years of tattooing outside of shops. Having no access to transfer machines, ALL work had to be drawn freehand on-skin. Whether it was symmetrical, celtic, lettering, or reproduction, there was no option to transfer and trace, the industry standard. To this day I freehand almost all of my work, and have developed a strong aspect of flowing with the body in the pieces I do. My first job at a tattoo shop was in Skin Print Tattoo. Working in locations in Renton, Seattle, and Tacoma, I got my first regular experience in a street shop. After just under a year there, I quit, opting to spend some more time traveling and tattooing on the road, something I still love. About a year later, in 1998 I applied for an opening at Greenlake Tattoo (Seattle, WA). It was there I worked with Al D and learned blood borne pathogens from him. I also worked with an amazing crew of tattooists including Gilbert Jumping Eagle, Benjamin Moss, and Majenta, who would be longtime friends and Gilbert and Benjamin later, coworkers again. After one year at Greenlake I moved to Laughing Buddha Tattoo (Capital Hill, Seattle, WA). I worked there for 3 years, most of that time again with one of my best friends and strongest artistic influences, David Heskin. It was a good shop and I stayed busy, mostly with interesting work. In the end I sought a less of a street shop and more travel. That brought me to Apocalypse Tattoo, a world-class shop with a diverse and very talented crew. There had the privilege of working with some of the most amazing artists I've ever known. From Apocalypse I also began working first the national tattoo convention circuit, then the international. In the last couple of years I've traveled to Europe many times for tattoo conventions, along with Southeast Asia for exploration. I am in the process of picking up and relocating overseas. I will be traveling and working, first to Thailand, then to Barcelona, Spain. I am very excited! Please keep an eye on this site to know where I can be found and when I will be in your neighborhood.