nayte

JAPANESE - HIP HOP/STREET - CUSTOM

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO TATTOOING?

Man I spent years asking the guy I was getting tattooed by how to start. He always just said,

draw, draw, draw.

At this stage I didn't even know tattoo apprenticeships were a thing. so from 2011 to about 2015 I asked him a few times a year, would go and draw then get caught up doing other shit. but over the time I was tattooed I met all these people along the way and finally I asked him one last time and he said come into the shop tomorrow. So I did and the owner Sam pretty much told me once he found I wanted to be an apprentice that

if I hung out at the shop everyday until he reached 10 years tattooing he would put me on.

8 months later I was the apprentice

WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE BEFORE TATTOOING?

Pretty crazy.. full of bad decisions that all become learning experiences. What really put me on the right path was when I started amateur boxing and kickboxing. that shit gives you discipline, self confidence and a clear mind. It was actually when I was working security at a joint in Oakleigh with my trainer that I found out about tattoo apprenticeships. I was drawing heaps and showing my work and he said why dont you just ask for an apprenticeship. Life changed after that.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN YOUR OWN SHOP INSTEAD OF JUST WORKING IN ONE?

I always had the mindset id never own a shop, ive seen what it can do to a person. the stress, the responsibility, nah man ill chill on that one. but after covid and having my 2nd kid something sorta changed in my head and it felt like the right thing to do

WHAT DOES ZANDAKA ACTUALLY MEAN TO YOU?

When I first came up with Zandaka it was more of a place that I could be comfortable and bring in my old roots into one place. Zandaka means balance in Japanese, but not like nose manual balance im talking the balance of the account, money. so it was kind of play on words where I was trying to have a work life balance. But as Zandaka matured and I really started seeing the shops identity. it became a place that was all Melbourne.

The culture, skating, graffiti, hip hop, all the shit I was into and love under one roof.

I always had the philosophy of the skate shop vibe. A place you can go to kick it, talk shit with the owner, watch skate videos and if you had the cash, buy a fresh board.

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT BUILDING THE SHOP?

The McKinnon shop was hard in the way that I had no fkn idea what I was doing. signing leases, negotiating, sourcing trades and all the logistics. but I also was doing it in secret while I worked at the shop I was at.

I was getting up at 6 and painting the walls then going to work and tattooing all day.

Ive always kept my phone on silent but leading up to the build I had it on loud and had to stop tattooing and answer calls to organise plumbers n shit. the owners knew something was weird but you gotta do what you gotta do.

WHAT KEEPS YOU PUSHING THROUGH ALL THE STRESS?

For real, my family, my partner, my kids, the guys working with me. Ill push through a lot of shit and try keep my cool to make thins work. thats all you can do, slow down relax and just make it happen.

BIGGEST INFLUENCES INSIDE OR OUTSIDE TATTOOING?

Music man, ill watch documentaries on rappers and DJs, seeing there struggles and there come up. what made them different and how they went about it.

I literally grab these things and apply it my life.

I actually read a fair bit, i've got biographies on Mike Tyson, RZA, Muhammad Ali. Stories and writings from Miyamoto Musashi, the art of war, shit like that. I just obsess with shit and go deep into seeing how I can apply this to my life

WHAT PART OF MELBOURNE CULTURE INFLUENCES YOU THE MOST?

The streets man. I grew up on them and I love it. The grittiness, the skate and graffiti scene. The trams, the trains, the lifestyle is just fkn dope.

WHAT ROLE DOES HIP HOP PLAY IN YOUR LIFE AND WORK?

Its huge.. I don't listen to it as much as I watch it. At night, im watching YouTube docos, podcasts, interviews with artists that I really vibe and pick what I want.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT RUNNING A TATTOO SHOP?

It ain’t fkn easy. there's the obviously the logistics of running the shop with keeping it stocked up with supplies, advertising, rent, rates, all that boring shit. But there's also the politics, knowing what I stand for and expect has been a big learning curve.

WHAT MAKES ZANDAKA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SHOPS?

We representing Melbourne.

You got shops that are Japanese, traditional, fine line, privates with white walls and plants. But there's nothing in Melbourne that are just embracing the city. 

WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL WHEN THEY WALK INTO ZANDAKA?

First and foremost I want them to feel comfortable, tattoo shops can be pretty intimidating to walk into. But at the same time real talk, when people come in I want them to be like "this is fucking sick".

WHAT DOES “ART MEETS HUSTLE” MEAN TO YOU?

Art meets Hustle is a term I made when I was trying to sum up my own personal brand in a few words. Ive always been a hustler and had to do whatever I needed to get by. But now I get to create art and do what I love while making a living supporting my family. I think all tattooers need to have the art meets hustle mentality and thats what im going to encourage everyone at Zandaka to be like.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO TATTOO?

I love doing Japanese but ive been pushing a melbourne/hip hop Japanese style thats been heaps of fun. I get to be more loose and creative while giving myself rules with the Japanese element.

Its controlled chaos

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF CREATING CUSTOM WORK?

Basically grabbing what the person is thinking and putting it on paper. 

WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE STILL TRYING TO IMPROVE ON?

Man tattooing and art in general is one of those need to be learning everyday type things. there's always tightening up to do, loosening up to do and knowledge to be learnt. Dont stop learning

WHAT’S THE LONG TERM VISION FOR ZANDAKA?

I got a big long road map and im not gonna throw it all out there just yet.

This is just the beginning

and you better get ready

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?

Doin the dad thing. When there asleep im either catching up on drawings, gaming while listening to a podcast/documentary, chilling back watching a series with the missus and Sunday family days man.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE WOULDN’T EXPECT ABOUT YOU?

I dunno man, we all got pasts but the present is the person you are today.

WHAT DOES “BUILT FOR THE SCENE” MEAN TO YOU?

Building a cultural hub for like minded individuals to come together.

QUICK FIRE

Favourite album? wu tang - 36 chambers

Favourite artist outside tattooing? Raekwon

Favourite tattoo style? Japanese

Favourite Melbourne spot? I got 2, Lincoln Square RIP and up in the hills at Olinda

Favourite food spot? I gotta say im a sucker for Okami

Go-to late night food? right now, party pies in the air fryer

Current obsession? moving forward

Dream collab? Nike

Biggest inspiration right now? Right now ive been watching a fair bit of RZA hes making the rounds

One thing you can’t work without? a hat

One word to describe Melbourne? GOAT

One word to describe Zandaka? Dreams