Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, my name is Ben Heelass.

 

I have been interested in art as long as I can remember, and have drawn since I could hold a pencil. I was born in Brisbane and still reside here.

 

I grew up in an artistic family, my father whose chosen medium was oil painting, and my mother who encouraged me to draw from an early age. Her creative guidance was a real inspiration to me, the simple act of sitting with her at the kitchen table, copying cartoon figures prompted me to become an artist.

 

For many years urban graffiti was my artistic outlet, but I now have channeled all of my artistic energies into tattooing.

 

I have always been interested in ink, the faded drawings of skulls and eagles on my father's arms, the imagery of the classic tattoo. When I was a kid I would roll up his sleeves to look at these pictures, it was then at the age of eight that I decided that tattooing was going to be my future career. Thirteen years later I did my first tattoo.

 

I have worked at Sacred Skin Tattoo Studio since the beginning of 2006 and I absolutely love it.