Bio
Epik Starr is a tattoo artist, painter, and lifelong artist whose story begins between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Born in El Paso, he was raised by his grandmother in Juárez until he was about eleven. They lived in a vecindad shared with seven other families, where everyone shared one bathroom. He remembers that life with deep affection. His grandmother believed education mattered and encouraged him to keep learning. After school, she gave him math problems to solve whether he had homework or not.
Epik began working at seven years old at a brake and suspension shop across the street from home, first removing tires from cars. By the time he was nine, he was doing brake work and other suspension jobs. The money helped his grandmother with household bills—and gave him a little candy on payday. He describes those years as a beautiful life, shaped by family, responsibility, and curiosity.
Art has been part of Epik’s life from a very young age. In his teenage years, skateboarding became his main way to get around, joining two lasting interests: making art and skating. Today, he wants to bring more attention to his hand-painted skate decks, a natural extension of that history.
The cultures and visual traditions of Mexico and South America continue to inspire him. Their richness of art and imagery has stayed with him throughout his life and informs the way he approaches creative work. With more than 20 years in tattooing and body piercing, and experience across the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America, Epik now tattoos at Heartbreaker Tattoo in Spokane. He works with clients to develop custom designs and can serve Spanish-speaking clients in their language.
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