Andrés De La Barrera

Medellín, Columbia

In getting to know Andrés as our very first artist at Miss Vixxen we feel much about him as we would our first born child...protective, excited, wanting the very best for him and very, very grateful. Listening to his answers to our questions, a certain quote about artists came to mind.

"Art is not the possession of the few who are recognized writers, painters, musicians; it is the authentic expression of any and all individuality. Those who have the gift of creative expression in unusually large measure disclose the meaning of the individuality of others to those others. In participating in the work of art, they become artists in their activity. They learn to know and honor individuality in whatever form it appears. The fountains of creative activity are discovered and released. The free individuality which is the source of art is also the final source of creative development in time."

—John Dewey

Andrés favorite art form involves the movement of his own body as his first dream was to be a professional skateboarder. He suffered a knee injury which brought that dream to a halt but it remains his favorite hobby to this day. On his skateboard he is happy and free...the rumble of the wheels moving beneath his feet, some music playing in the background, the focused look on his face, the flow of movements and his smile at the end. This love of his is where he says he learned to be consistent. He has also found he is quite adept at another art form....cooking. He seems almost a bit surprised by his talent in this when he responds "I don't know why, I just think I'm creative with the flavors." 

This talented artist has only been tattooing for a short 4 years but you would never know that by looking at his work. He was always interested in art but didnt learn to draw until he was 20 years old. He found this new path by a twist of fate and was captivated by traditional tattooing style. He expresses the pride he feels now in working at Black Rose Tattoo in Barcelona which he deems to be a wonderful experience as he works with people he admires and truly respects. He admits there is a long list of artists from around the globe whose work he commends, especially because of their different perspectives. But at the top of his list is Gregg Letron who he believes is super special and unique at what he does. 

Andrés ideal client is one that trusts him and doesn't give a fuck what they are getting and gives him creative freedom to do what he loves. Much to his pleasure he finds his clients are typically nice and kind. You can find him doing guest spots all over the world rather frequently but no so much in attendance at conventions since in Columbia where his career began it's hard to find events that showcase traditional tattoo style. He would eventually like to travel to one that is more suited to his talents.....especially if it's in northern USA. 

On the top of his bucket list is buying a new tattoo machine which is a testament to his dedication to his work. When asked to talk about himself we found he is in tune to his own good qualities which include being "creative, persistent and helpful". We certainly won't argue that. He shared that he believes what makes him stand out from the crowd is that he has a passion for what he does, he loves traditional style, he's proud of how well he does and says that he is constantly improving for those very reasons. 

In 5 years he would like to see himself owning land and growing his own shit and says his definition of happiness is a day at the beach. His humble nature compels him to say he is not too ambitious and that his desires are pretty basic but we at Miss Vixxen think he is anything but basic.