INSIDE MY STORY.
Art has always walked with me, even before I realized it.
In 2020, I decided to turn that quiet presence into a profession and became a tattoo artist. In 2021, I opened my studio to the public in São Luís.
From an early age, creating was my refuge. At 14, between drawings on paper and digital experiments, I found a world that made me lose track of time.
Life took me down different paths:
I lived in Australia for seven months. That experience opened my eyes even further: I realized the world is made of unique stories, and some of them ask to be immortalized on the skin.
Surrealism is the movement that inspires me the most. It is where I find room to give a voice to the complexity of who we are inside, translating the invisible into images.
What drives me is being able to turn events and feelings into something meaningful, whether in a tattoo or in a painting.
— LEONARDO FONSECA
THE STUDIO
Leonardo Fonseca Ink Tattoo opened its doors to the public in 2021 in São Luís – MA, Brazil. The studio is in room 807 of the Executive Lake Center, at Rua das Andirobas, 40, in the Renascença neighborhood.
Sessions are one-on-one and by appointment only: the studio sees one client at a time, with no rush. All equipment used is disposable and sterilized, because here biosafety is a priority, not a detail.
The building has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, and the studio is a welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community.
THE ARTIST
LEONARDO FONSECA
Specializes in realism and micro-realism in black & gray, with surrealism as the main inspiration. Also creates commissioned paintings on canvas, graphite and charcoal.
PROCESS
BRIEFING
You send visual references, placement and size. The quote is ready within two business days.
STUDY
Every piece goes through three hand-drawn studies before going onto the skin. You approve the final sketch.
SESSION
The studio sees one client at a time. No rush. The session ends when the work is done.