“Alexx, he never gets tired of it,” announces Charlène, her eyes tinged with admiration. The young woman reveals a colorful design on her calf. “15 days ago we were at a convention of tattoo in Belgium, we had to wait… Look at the result! We’ll see what happens at Hellfest. »
At 45, Alexx Prat now lives in Montluçon, with his partner, Charlène. In March, he opens his salon, Esoter’Ink. His career began 20 years ago, in Ariège. “I’ve always loved the artistic world. My father draws a lot in his free time, it’s a kind of mimicry. Alexx is taking her first steps in the restaurant business, like her parents. Bep and Cap in his pocket, he works in various establishments.
“I was thinking of going into pastry. The work of sugar, it has a side artistic. But after an exhausting experience at a luxury caterer in Paris, the artist is in great need of change. “I couldn’t get enough of life in Paris, of living at 100 an hour. I needed to breathe. »
love and discovery
Here he is in Ariège, where a love story will make him reconnect with tattooing. “I was already interested in it as a teenager. I was flipping through magazines thinking, “Wow, can we do that?!” And when I was around 25, I met a girl doing piercings in a salon. » Whole days hanging around between needles and inks whetted his appetite.
“I tattooed three pigs’ feet and then I started,” he recalls, raising an eyebrow. After this first experience, Alexx will never let go of his dermograph again. After 15 years, he leaves Ariège to practice his art across the country. Toulouse, Cahors, Montlucon… Alexx alternates between his own projects and interventions in various tattoo parlours, before putting down his briefcase.
I was flipping through magazines thinking, “Wow, can we do that?!”
Alexx Prat (tattoo artist)
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It is undoubtedly thanks to the many acquaintances he made along the way that Alexx became one of the official tattoo artists of the biggest metal festival in France: the Hellfest. ” There are approximately 8 ans, I was contacted to replace, at short notice, a colleague. Since then, the organizer of the tattoo party calls me every year. I believe that if you do the job well, then you have both feet in the cement,” he laughs. An invitation, engraved in marble, far from upsetting the tattoo artist.
The tattoo at Hellfest
In Clisson, in Loire-Atlantique, hundreds of thousands of fans of “extreme” music will come together for a double edition, the weekends of June 17 and 26. In a dedicated space, hidden behind sets worthy of American blockbusters, a twenty professional tattoo artistsincluding Alexx, will mark the skin of all those who wish.
Alexx, he never gets tired of it!
Charlene (companion)
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“We don’t make big pieces, because we don’t have the time. But for small tattoos, people introduce themselves to volunteers and are then redirected to us, somewhat randomly, depending on availability. » 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., the professionals hardly raise their heads, between “flash” tattoos (small pre-drawn pieces) and drawings of the festival logo. “Oh! The famous “H”. Sometimes it comes out of our eyes. It even became a joke between us. “So, how many did you do today? Shut up !” »
L’good-natured atmosphere isn’t Alexx’s only motivation. “I have no problem saying it’s great financially interesting. In all, between the trip, the show closed for 10 days, the price of my stand there… I pay a little over 2,000 euros. I report much more. »
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Because in the metal world, tattoos are as common as pairs of socks. ” There can be up to 5 hours of waiting, when we are in our twenties! » With a first price around 60 euros and a hundred tattoos done per weekend, Alexx comes into his own. Charlène, caregiver, takes care of the post-tattoo care on a voluntary basis: “We provide follow-up during the festival. With the sun and the dust, we don’t want there to be any worries. »
I believe that if you do the job well, then you have both feet in the cement.
Alexx Prat (tattoo artist)
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And even if Alexx knows how to remain professional, he will still enjoy, with his darling, a few musical scenes on his free time. A significant advantage for any self-respecting “metalhead”.
Delphine Simoneau
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