Crez

My father was a sailor and the only survivor of the “Fusina” shipwreck long before i was born, he got tattooed in a harbor in India during the 60′s.
When i was a child i was curious about his tattoos, a tiger and an eagle that really suits his arms and that he carries as a souvenir of his sailor’s travels in india during the 60′s.
I was very curious as a child and i keep on asking him questions about his tattoos, he was quite evasive , but when he was telling me the story of this indian tattooer walking on board offering his service, i felt like i was there, far from home , a sunny afternoon in india, with my father and his mates getting tattooed, laughing at those who got fever after the procedure.
I remember all that in these days, i’ve tattooed my father a bit more, he get cover up’s and we’ve added a couple big pieces to his collection, both on forearms and chest. My father Ugo, was born in 1941, the skin burned by the sun, and it’s cool for me to have the chance to give him what i can do best, Tattooing.

I’ve started tattooing after the stories of my father actually, i was a 9 years old boy when for the first time, i grab three needles from my mom’s drawer, tie them up with some thread found in the same drawer, grab some china ink from my school supply and with this “fine” equipment, i’ve tattooed five dots on my left forearm, like the five on dice. That was my very first direct experience with tattooing, and it was fun.
Since then, it has been an escalation, today my body is 70% “in colors” and i am a tattooer myself.

I’ve built my very first machine with a walkman motor, a “Bic” ball pen as the tube, a shirt bottom as the cam fot the motor, i’ve bended a bicycle spoke to make a needle bar and tied on them needles with thread and super glue, all assembled with tape, it was a rotary machine, jail house style; i’ve tattooed myself for a while with that crap, and then in 1993 i’ve had the chance to buy myself proper equipment, and start tattooing. It wasn’t easy at that time to get nice equipment in italy, few tattoo studios, few informations, you cannot go on the internet, and tattoo magazines was hard to find. During that year i’ve met Gaz, he was tattooing at home in the south side of the city, his works were amazing for my scratcher’s eyes, i’ve got several ink from him, we ended up being friends and open up Adrenalink Tattooing Marghera in 1997, after 4 years on the road around europe and italy tattooing at conventions, friend’s shops, friend’s couches ecc…

After a year or so, Gaz moves from Adrenalink, he has chosen a different path, i’ve kept the shop with the help of my lovely lady Manekistefy, she has become co-owner of the shop and she is a great tattooist herself.
I’ve learned drawing by myself, i was a graffiti writer constantly sketching my letterings and puppets, my tattoos of that period reflect this side of my work, i guess the label for that is “new school”.
I’ve enjoyed doing every tattoo people asked me for several years, i did new school, biomechanic, fantasy, tribals and traditionals, but in time, my dedication to Horimono, the Japanese tattooing, tooks all my efforts, so in 2003, i’ve decided to work exclusively on japanese classic tattoos, to better focus and improve my knowledge on the matter. I’ve travelled and tattooed around Japan one or two months a year since 2003, learn a lot of things, and i still need to learn a lot more. I have the chance to work side by side with great artists, and to visit sensei Horihide in Yokosuka, a true mastrer and a legend of tattooing that really helps me a lot, criticizing my old works and giving me his blessing on my new stuff.
My works are custom made, i draw every tattoo for the person that will carry it, my goal consists in making the body nicer rather than make a nice design.

I have held several workshops and seminars on Horimono, calligraphy, tattoo history, both in tattoo related events and for example at Venice’s University Ca’ Foscari, where i gave a lecture on history of japanese tattooing and connection with japanese craft and folklore.
I worked with Tattoo Artist Magazine &Tattoo Life, i did interviews on great tattoo artists like Sabado of Nagoya jp (T.A.M.), Horirico & Horishio of Darumagoya Morioka jp, Adam Kitamoto of Ten Ten Tattoos Melbourne Oz, to promote the culture of tattooing.
I wrote the preface and introduction of Sensei Horihide book published by Miki Vialetto, now available at Moma in New York.

Recently we move the shop on the other side of the road on a bigger place that we rebuild as the tattoo studio we were looking for many years.
2013 will be my 20th year of tattooing, i will celebrate working around the globe dung the year stay tuned for updates.

Massimiliano “Crez” Freguja