For many, the idea of tattoo artistry carries a level of taboo and stigma. The Latino and Latine communities have all grown up hearing, “Your body is a temple.”
Another stereotype the industry carries? That it’s a man’s job.
But art is art, regardless of the canvas. Except for some physical feats, women are capable of much. Rocio Delgadin didn’t initially imagine she’d do tattoo artistry, but it has proven to be one of the most gratifying decisions she has ever made.
Credit: Courtesy of Rocio Delgadin
Her path into tattooing was facilitated by her decision to challenge herself and her degree
Delgadin, co-owner and partner at Parlay Tattoo in Miami, notes that she fell into tattoo artistry by simply challenging and daring herself to do something different.
She tells Latinidad Collective, “I never thought I would be a tattoo artist. Previously, I worked in administration, and I had never been connected to the tattooing environment.”
“At 26, I said to myself, literally, I saw a sign on Facebook about learning to tattoo, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ And that’s when I embarked on becoming a tattoo artist,” she continued.
Credit: Courtesy of Rocio Delgadin
The Argentina-born tattoo artist achieved a Bachelor’s degree in visual arts, which she credits greatly influencing her artistry.
She adds, “I have a Bachelor’s degree in visual arts from my country. That’s why I assumed it would be easier for me to become a tattoo artist. And the truth is, it was much easier.”
“I think I skipped several steps, not that I skipped them, but it was much easier because all I had left was basically mastering the machine,” the tattoo artist asserts.
“I’m working, and someone is next to me making mate. That’s something I brought from my culture, the camaraderie and always having people around.”
Rocio Delgadin
on what her Argentine culture taught her
Despite her artistry, she wasn’t immune to the lingering effects of tattooing being perceived as a man’s field
Women are capable of much but often find a barrier to entry in fields where the perception is that men dominate. As time progresses, this stereotype lessens, but women can occasionally feel the lingering effects.
Delgadin admits that this stereotype is harmful because it limits the opportunities that can be offered to women and femme tattoo artists.
She posits, “Yes, it does harm [women] because it doesn’t give women artists the opportunity to show that we have the same ability, right?”
Credit: Courtesy of Rocio Delgadin
The Buenos Aires-born tattoo artist notes that women are finding more opportunities thanks to client preferences. She admits that more and more “people prefer women.”
“For example, women prefer women because generally, we are more delicate, we have a lighter touch, so tattoos hurt less, we have a more aesthetic vision, so yes, it complicates things. But, thankfully, nowadays, it’s much easier to overcome certain obstacles,” she explains.
Her advice to other women and femmes who want to pursue tattoo artistry?
“I would tell her to try to be as professional as possible and to constantly be learning. And showing [and] teaching clients and people in the industry that you are what you are because of the art and not because you’re a woman,” she remarks.
She continues, “The competition is very strong, especially in an environment where it’s all men, right? And try to separate your professional life from your personal life. That’s super important in the industry.”
Credit: Courtesy of Rocio Delgadin
Delgadin’s culture imbued her with a sense of family when it comes to her approach to work
Like many Latinos and Latines, Argentines are no strangers to community. Argentines value time spent together, whether they are drinking mate or gathering for an asado.
Apart from home, people spend most of their time at their place of employment. So, it’s important to like the people you work with.
“At 26, I said to myself, literally, I saw a sign on Facebook about learning to tattoo, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ And that’s when I embarked on becoming a tattoo artist.”
Rocio Delgadin
on becoming a tattoo artist
“How did my culture influence my work? In my country, for example, we are all very close when it comes to working. It’s super normal for the workshop since it’s full of friends, of people we drink mate with, that are constantly making mate for us,” she explains.
The tattoo artist adds, “I’m working, and someone is next to me making mate. That’s something I brought from my culture, the camaraderie and always having people around.”
Credit: Courtesy of Rocio Delgadin
Mate is an incredibly communal beverage in Argentina, and it is as synonymous with the country as its meat culture. Google Arts & Culture cites that Argentines drink an average of “22 gallons (100 liters) per person.”
The New York Times notes that Argentina’s national soccer team took “1,100 pounds of yerba mate to Qatar” for the 2022 World Cup. So, Delgadin’s assertion of the togetherness experienced with her compatriotas is real given those numbers.
“I think [my work] also absorbs a lot from Argentine artists who influenced me at the time. And doing conventions, which is also not very common here, but there in my country, there are conventions every month where artists go to compete. But more than competing, you go to meet other artists [and] to socialize,” she adds.
