Bio
Ivan is a tattoo artist, oil painter, photographer, and illustrator with nearly two decades of experience. Born in the Dominican Republic, he moved to New York at the age of 10, where his passion for art first took root. Inspired by anime, he spent countless hours at the library after school, printing and replicating Dragon Ball images. At 13, he discovered “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way”, a book that showed him that he could learn to draw from his imagination, a defining moment in his artistic journey.
After reaching a plateau in his artistic journey, he dedicated himself to a six-year apprenticeship under the guidance of Lyle Gerts (an alumnus of The Pratt Institute of NY), refining his craft and becoming an accomplished oil painter. He is currently in the process of obtaining his BFA, to be followed by an MFA, and becoming a teaching artist and passing on the knowledge that was so generously given to him.
Ivan rejects the notion of being confined to a single medium. Inspired by the great masters of the past, he aspires to be a true Renaissance man, continuously evolving and pushing the boundaries of his creativity.
Find out more about him in the interview below.