all rainbows and Unicorns
Unicorn Ink in Lincoln provides a safe space for everyone considering going under the needle.
How did you get into tattooing? GREG ARPIN, CO-OWNER: I come from Massachusetts and when I first started, tattooing was illegal in the state. There were no shops. My brother had started doing it from home and I was like,‘ Hey, I’ m creative, I could totally do this.’ I started getting the supplies and then built my own little personal studio in my basement. I taught myself and then finally, Massachusetts opened up to tattooing. I got into a shop and started apprenticing. Eventually I met Dave and then we started chitchatting and that’ s how Unicorn was born. @ cubglam _ tattoo DAVE ASGARIAN, CO-OWNER: When I was young, I would draw on myself. I would start a spiral on my hand and continue it all the way up my arm. I just like the look of body art. But I never even thought about it as a career until Greg. He was one of the first tattoo artists I knew personally— he ended up giving me my first tattoo. I loved it. I started to get into tattooing myself then took a break to focus on graphic design. I tattooed here and there, but then in 2012 I went all in with Greg. We opened the first Unicorn Ink in 2012 on Mineral Spring. @ firsteditiondave
Tell us about the current shop. ASGARIAN: We moved here about four years ago to accommodate
our growing team of artists. Many parlors have open floor plans, but we wanted to give people their privacy and let each artist personalize their own space. ARPIN: And one of our main goals here is whether you are atheist or religious, gay or straight, big or small, any race or any gender, you feel comfortable and welcome.”
How did you end up here? LUIS PEREIRA, RESIDENT ARTIST: I’ m from Portugal and started with graffiti. I met the owner of a shop back home, and I would hang around and show them my drawings. Eventually they took me on as an apprentice. I spent two years managing the shop before I got to start tattooing. That was about fifteen years ago. As for Unicorn, I met Greg a few years back and I wanted to come work here because I love how colorful, nontraditional and gay-friendly it is. We started working on getting my O1B artist visa and I officially joined back in February of this year. I recently won an award for most unusual tattoo at the Providence Tattoo Convention. @ luis _ bold
CLOCKWISE: Luis Pereira, Greg Arpin, Dave Asgarian and Harley Bean.
HARLEY BEAN, RESIDENT ARTIST: I have a BFA in illustration. I’ ve been drawing cartoons pretty much since I could hold a pencil. During the height of the pandemic, a lot of people were paying me to design their tattoos for them. I was already a client of Unicorn Ink, so I emailed them. They first hired me as a receptionist and eventually one of the artists, Nick, let me apprentice with him. Now I am fully licensed. @ beansdoodles
100 Higginson Ave., Suite 1, Lincoln, 335-5836, unicorn ink. com, @ unicornink 🆁
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