Born in 77, our tattoo artist Unai was born and raised in Bilbao la Vieja. He is currently the owner and founder of Tattoo Adicts, alongside with his partner Helvia.

Unai’s personal concerns about the tattoo arose 21 years ago, in the way it was done at the time: entering a studio in Bilbao as a tattoo artist. The curiosity and desire to learn more about this discipline made him travel worldwide and meet tattoo conventions both in the United States and in Europe, trips in which he could find inspiration from other artists and themes such as the old signage, the bizarre and the vintage.

It was then, after 11 years of experience, that this project was launched, which is now Tattoo Adicts. It should also be noted that for 3 consecutive years, Unai also organized “Tattoo Ink Fusion”, the first tattoo convention in Bilbao. A completely free non-profit event that accommodated different disciplines such as performance, conferences, children’s workshops, concerts, suspensions and tattoos.

It is important to know that in the 80s and 90s, Bilbao la Vieja was the most marginal area of the city of Bilbao. Opening a studio at the time and this place was a premeditated act: they sought to bring to this neighborhood the social and cultural level it needed.

Tattoo Adicts was born in 2008 to overcome the quality of large Spanish and even European studios through solid and quality work, and has since become a reference space for many artists from different disciplines nationally and internationally.

But this project did not come out of nowhere, it took numerous efforts and above all a lot of love and passion for this culture to become what we are now.