Michael Perry

For an artist whose incredibly detailed work is recognized the world over, Michael Perry waited a long time for the art to find him. As a child he spent many school days in art museums as part of an experimental art program he landed when his parents noticed he was far more apt to draw in the margins of his notebooks than complete schoolwork. But other than a brief stint as an apprentice in a tattoo studio he had been heavily tattooed in, he mostly dropped art after grade school, not seeing it as a viable income source. Years later, aimless, broke and frustrated by countless rejections, he walked into a studio with his old apprenticeship portfolio and some drawings and begged for a job. The studio owner relented, and the next day Michael began tattooing everything that came through the door, 6-7 days a week, from before the shop opened until after it closed. He learned every style, every technique, every nuance that clients wanted, and it wasn’t long before black and grey surrealism took over as his true expression. Michael’s art was in high demand, and he was booked over a year out.

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Michael’s work is heavily influenced by that of Rembrandt’s, which Michael says combines strong, clear focal points with intricate details, and accomplishes a lot while keeping things simple. He is also inspired by the graffiti and street art he observes while exploring the cities to which his work takes him. Inspired by the duality of opposing forces, the yin and yang of life and death, darkness and light, Michael’s work incorporates shape and texture to bring forth focal points that appear to compete with yet complement one another. There is a subliminal communication of deep emotion embedded in each of his pieces.

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Resident artist at Love Machine in NYC and The Raven and The Wolves in Long Beach, CA, Michael is also co-founder and co-owner of Spring Break 99, the retreat seminar series he runs with Robby Latos and Siabhan Downs of Damascus Tattoo Company. It began as a way for artists to connect and learn from one another in a setting more conducive to growth than the conventions they were missing during the pandemic and has become a passion project to help the next generation of tattoo artists cultivate and grow in their talent. Michael says his years of feeling aimless and stuck are a large part of the learning and teaching process; he often recognizes artists in that cycle who need the guidance of a seasoned artist to propel them forward. It’s a way for him to continue to enjoy what he loves to do, and he says it’s what he will keep doing until he can’t anymore.

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When he’s not tattooing or creating art for his clients, Michael can be found exploring cities, wandering along beaches or eating at Michelin rated restaurants.