My tattoo business is thriving in a conservative town

When Junias Mugo was in high school, his favourite pastime was pushing the boundaries of creativity using art. He badly wanted to be an artist, but wasn’t sure how to make a living from it.

“After I finished high school, my parents wanted me to go to college and get a degree, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study,” Junias, now 23, says.

He spent a year at home in Nyeri looking for ideas on how to set off on the next chapter of his life. While carrying out research online, he came across a YouTube video on tattooing.

“I was hooked, and I immediately looked for more information on how to draw tattoos. I also travelled to Nanyuki town, which has an expatriate population and vibrant tattoo scene.”

Kicked out

With few role models in Nyeri and no formal training available to him, Junias decided to teach himself from online resources. He then borrowed a tattoo machine from a friend and put into practice what he’d learnt by testing it on his own skin.

Eventually, he got his technique right and felt ready to tattoo other people. He started out by offering his friends free tattoos. They told their friends, and soon, people he’d never met were calling him up.

“I quickly realised I could no longer tattoo people in random places; I needed a shop that offered privacy and was accessible. But it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Most landlords within Nyeri town didn’t understand my business, and I was kicked out of several premises despite paying rent,” Junias says.

“Most people in Nyeri think tattoos are for foreigners or rebellious youth, and this perception is what saw many landlords turn me away.”

However, he eventually set up shop in a new building within the town, and has been able to draw a steady stream of clients the last five years for his business, Tattoos by Junias.

Peer pressure

“Most of my clients are from local universities and are often looking to be adventurous so they’ve embraced tattoos.”

To market his services, Junias uses social media and word of mouth. His clients have become walking billboards, advertising his talent and business. Online, he runs pages on various platforms where he posts pictures of his work and his rules.

Junias does not tattoo anyone younger than 18 or someone who turns up drunk. And to avoid having clients who have come to him on impulse or due to peer pressure, Junias only takes jobs on appointment.

“Because tattoos are permanent, I must make sure my clients want one. Therefore, I first have a meeting with a client, discuss the tattoo they want, inform them of any consequences of the image they pick, and then set a date for the inking.”

“If you are afraid of the pain but still want a tattoo, there is a numbing cream that can be administered, but I cannot tattoo someone while they are drunk because I need their consent.”

Further, to keep his reputation intact, Junias observes high levels of hygiene to prevent contamination or infection of tattoos.

Nyeri town has since overcome its initial resistance to the tattoo business as more people embrace the art and understand it as a form of expression.

“Currently, I get at least two bookings a day, and people who used to travel to Nanyuki or Nairobi now call me up for tattoos.”

The least Junias charges for a small tattoo is Sh1,000.