Madrid-based Spanish tattoo artist Debora Cherrys has made a name for herself in the neo-traditional style, notably with her portraits of strong, independent women. Portraits that ultimately reflect her image. A multi-disciplinary artist and former conservatoire musician, Debora is also a seasoned entrepreneur, involved in running her studio 'La Mujer Barbuda' and her vegan restaurant. Despite her busy schedule, Debora took the time to talk to Inkers about her influences and the pleasure she derives from carrying out all her activities at once.
Can you please give me a little introduction Debora?
Hello everyone! My name is Debora Cherrys and I’m from Madrid, Spain. I’m tattoo artist since 2012 but I draw since I was a child. I’m 39 years old and I’m a really happy person. I’m vegan too and actually I have a second business (me, my husband and a partner opened a vegan restaurant in Madrid 2 years ago called “TROPICOOL”).
Can you tell us about the artistic references that shaped your graphic universe?
I love art history and I remember how much I enjoy studying about Greek, Rome and Egypt. After that, I was really inspired with feminism movement and it changed my mind and how I understand the art (mostly contemporary art). When I started on the tattoo industry, Alphonse Mucha was my biggest inspiration with old cinema and nature.
Are there other influences you’d like to mention?
I’m a big fan of surrealistic and sci-fi, and I think you can see it on my designs. My favorite themes are women (I love draw powerful women) and mythology and nature, but I love not to do always the same. For that reason, I love when the clients ask me with a theme and give me completely freedom to do some interpretation and agree if I want to do more surrealistic compositions (like broken faces, kintsugi or any crazy idea).
As you said women are a recurrent theme in your tattoos, are women really the most beautiful beings in the world?
I think so!!! No, I’m just joking… I really try to do beautiful and powerful women and sometimes that’s a big problem! When someone ask me for an ugly female character, it’s impossible to me!! And honestly I don’t want to change that. I think it’s really hard to make the people recognize your work only through images, and I’m proud because many people do that thanks to my women!
These women exude confidence and strength, but also fragility, gentleness and dreams. Is it a way of paying tribute to femininity in all its diversity and richness?
Yes it is. Probably it’s how I see the women around me and the women I admire or how I would love to be. I try to capture the best of every woman character and to my own interpretation; and I try to do that without putting expressions on the faces (if you look my tattoos, I never draw smiles or sad faces, maybe some tears but not sadness faces) because I try to put all the strong and power on her eyes, her looks.
How did tattooing come into your life?
I studied arts on the university but never in my mind I thought I would love to be tattoo artist. It happened when I met my husband Adri. He taught me this beautiful job and now we have our own shop “La Mujer Barbuda” since 2015. Now I can’t imagine my life without tattoos and I hope continue doing that for the rest of my life (but with less pressure and less days per week).
Have you always done neo traditional?
The first months tattooing I did many comercial tattoos and some realistic pieces in black and grey (I thought that was more easy to me because I drew many times in charcoal), but I was bored… I discovered my first neo traditional tattoos on Facebook looking to other artist (the first tattoo artist I met doing that was Alix Ge, Justin Hartman, Sam Clack, Emily Rose, Jeff Gogue and my dears friend Toni Donaire and Lore Morato). I remember how much I love this “style” - when I discovered it was like a new movement, a new style mixing other styles like traditional, realism and new school - because I felt the freedom to create my own designs (I couldn’t feel that when doing realism) and do solid tattoos.
For many professionals, personal artistic activity and tattooing are intimately linked. How does this work for you?
I live continually frustrated, artistically speaking. I think we are artist (in my opinion the artist is the person who needs create, doesn’t care the technique or the medium) but when we accept the inquiries of our clients, we lost part of our creativity ( not like in the paint for example… you paint what you want and the client buy the artwork; on the tattoo the client is part of the creativity process and that could be frustrating sometimes. Other point of view in my life is: “I need to paint but I haven’t time” and when I have I don’t want to paint because I prefer to spend my free time doing other things without the obsession of producing. But that’s something I learn on the last year: the importance of not being forced to be productive all the time.
Do you have « escape route »?
I always say video games are my biggest escape route; it’s the moment I can turn off my brain and introduce me like the main character on a futurist or apocalyptic adventure. My favorites are Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher, Tomb Rider… But I’m an adult so I should to be careful not to spend all my free time playing (I would love to, but I can’t). Of course, I love music too (I forgot to tell you I studied 12 years music on a conservatory and I played flute and piano) and I spend many hours listening any kind of music (except hard music like hardcore of dark metal, it’s too much for me!). And I see many series and movies (I do that while I’m drawing) so we could spend hours talking about this point! I’m freaky person.
You also run your own studio. How do you combine your two activities?
I’m lucky person and the part of the business is taken by my husband Adri. He stopped to tattoo after he taught me, but he still continues on the tattoo industry not like a tattooer… For me he is my perfect coworker because in our relationship everything is balanced and we walked hand in hand.
Which tattoo artists do you go to?
At the beginning I choose tattoo artist who I admire to get a collection piece and learn about the process tattoo… But, unfortunately, not all the experiences were satisfactory. Now I only get my tattoos by friend with more or less talent, but I’m proud to get that beautiful remember by them. For example, my last tattoos were done by Jean Lerouxe, my friend Toni Donaire, my college Diego Cruceira and my bestie Esthart.
Madrid and the tattoo world recently lost one of its leading figures with the death of Mao. I think you were close to him?
I can’t listen or read his name without feeling pain on my heart. He was like my “foster father” (I don’t know if that exactly word… but something like that) on my career and I feel the huge void that has been left. I remember all the hundred stories he told me talking about the beginning of the tattoo, about tattoo legends, the future of this job… and of course his comforting and eternal hugs. I’m happy because we told each other everything. He knew how important he was as a person to me and how much I loved him, and I know how proud he was about the woman and the artist I have become (on one of the last interviews he did, he spoke literally “thanks to Debora and other women, the future of the tattoo has name of woman”). Now I have a compromise with him and I feel I must show to the new generation of tattoo artist his teachings and values, which i consider are sadly being lost. + IG : @deboracherrys LA MUJER BARBUDA TATTOO SHOP Calle oslo 53, Alcorcón 28922 Madrid, Spain
